Beet & Strawberry Tartare with Lemon Rosemary Vinaigrette

With a little effort and creativity (aka google research), you can enjoy a last minute and “out of ordinary” lunch for two. How? Well, all I did was take a look-see in my refrigerator and picked out a few items that don’t necessarily go together. I had beets…which I usually make a salad out of. Beets with chèvre mixed with golden raisins, blood orange, red onions and arugula. And I had strawberries, which I usually use for smoothies or I just eat them alone. I also had some cheeses…but this time, I didn’t want to incorporate any cheese into my meal. I was craving a vegan dish. When you’re thinking vegan, herbs should immediately pop into your head. To me, they are like the cheeses that can give distinguished flavor to an otherwise boring and bland meal. So herbs are a biggie for me when I’m cooking vegan. Luckily, I had some rosemary sprigs left over from a roasted potato side dish I made for dinner last night.

So there they were (as if blinking at me with imaginary Mr. Potato Head eyes)…Ms. Strawberry, Mr. Beet and Mlle. Rosemary. All three, all in order. Ready for me to cut or dice or thinly slice into little pieces. I wish I can tell you that I instantly knew what to make of these ingredients…but the truth is, I didn’t. Not a clue. If it weren’t for purposes of writing this blog, I’d simply juice those suckers with my imaginary juicer. So, sadly, I did what pretty much everyone else does in this day and age: google. And this is what I came up with. Strawberry & Beet Tartare with Lemon Rosemary Vinaigrette.

Beet & Strawberry Tartare:

Simply cube the beets and strawberries in a tartare size. Mix together.

Lemon Rosemary Vinaigrette:

In a measuring cup, whisk together equal amounts of freshly squeezed lemon juice and olive oil. Chop up some rosemary leaves and mix that in with the lemon olive oil mixture.

Mix together the strawberries and beets with a little bit of vinaigrette. Pour a few drops of the remaining vinaigrette (in the shape of a circle) onto a clean plate. Spoon the strawberries and beets tartare in the center of the circle. Squeeze more lemon juice all over and garnish with a lemon wedge and rosemary sprig. Brooklyn, EAT your heart out!