Raw beet ravioli

raw beet ravioli

5 ounces Boursin cheese 

5 ounces goat cheese 

Golden beet & purple beet

Heirloom tomato 

Fustini’s fig vinegar and pomegranate vinegar 

Pomegranate gastrique 

Start out by mixing Boursin cheese and goat cheese together by hand or with a mixer. When mixture is smooth let sit out at room temperature to warm up while preparing the beets, tomatoes and gastrique. 

Cleaning and peeling a raw beet

Step 1: Run the beets under cold water and remove any dirt using your fingertips. Handle them gently, being careful not to break the skin.

Step 2: Put on a pair of latex gloves if you do not want to scrub stains from the beet juice off of your hands when you are finished.

Step 3: Hold the beet firmly in your non-dominant hand. Using your dominant hand, grip the peeler and peel the beet the same as you would peel an apple or carrot. Use the vegetable peeler slowly and methodically, always peeling away from your hands, to avoid cuts.

Step 4: Dispose of the peelings and continue your preparation of the beets for your recipe.

Pomegranate gastrique

½ cup of sugar

½ cup of white wine vinegar

½ cup of pomegranate juice

Start with a stainless steel pan, heat sugar over medium heat until sugar dissolves and begins to caramelize. 

Once sugar has dissolved, add remaining ingredients. (the sugar will hiss,crackle, and harden, let sugar re-dissolve). 

Reduce heat to a low-medium and let liquid reduce to ½ cup or until syrup-like. 

Remove from heat and cool for 1-hour. 

Preparation:

-Take a cleaned beet, and slice as thinly as possible with as many pieces as possible (if a mandolin is available, it makes the process a little easier). Set aside in a water bath. 

-Prepare heirloom tomatoes by cutting ¼ inch thick slices and set aside. 

-Building the ravioli (If a piping bag is available, this eases the process); 

-Pipe or spoon boursin cheese mixture onto heirloom tomato. Layer with a sliced beet, and continue the cheese and beet layering until materials run out. Drizzle with pomegranate gastrique over top of ravioli. Drizzle with Fustini’s fig vinegar and pomegranate vinegar. 

By John Vanderjagt, personal chef, Green Fork Food
By John Vanderjagt, personal chef, Green Fork Food