straight up veg

I challenged myself this week to create a dish that produces as little waste as possible – This is known as “root to stem” cooking. It is a great way to get creative, reduce waste and really make the most of your groceries.

This recipe really made me realize how much I underutilize the produce that I buy. I can really make my dollar stretch when I get creative – best part is, I really want to make this dish over and over again because it was so tasty. It is hearty, yet light and extremely refreshing.

If you’re reading this, I challenge you to try root to stem cooking this week. You’ll be surprised with what you can create.

**Feel free to click on the red links for photo references**

Recipe makes 2 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 3 beets (peeled and roughly chopped)
• Greens from 3 beets, shredded (soaked/ rinsed thoroughly)
• Approx. 4 cups of chopped watermelon (I used 1 whole mini watermelon – rind reserved)
• 1/2 cup of microgreens (I used a mixture of arugula, ruby mustard and radish)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp ground thyme
• 5 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 tbsp honey (substitute: agave syrup)
• 1/4 tsp chili flakes
• Approx 2 tbsp crumbled feta (substitute: soy feta)
• 1/4 tsp chia seeds
• salt to taste

1. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil in a grill pan (or oil up a bbq grill) on medium-high heat. Add beets, and watermelon (2 cups) and sprinkle a pinch of salt and 1/4 tsp of ground thyme. Grill each side for approx. 15 minutes, or until cooked through.
2. Mix 2 cups of watermelon, 2 tbsp olive oil, white wine vinegar, 1/4 tsp ground thyme, honey, shallot, chili flakes and salt to taste. Blend until smooth
3. Lightly dress beet greens with 1-2 tbsp of watermelon vinaigrette.
4. Toss together beet greens with grilled beet and watermelon. Top with microgreens, crumbled feta, chia seeds and extra vinaigrette (if desired). Enjoy 🙂
5. With the reserved watermelon rind, for the first time I tried pickling it using this recipe. If it turns out sweet and tangy, it may be a great accompaniment with this salad, after it ferments in a couple weeks.