Architecture and design aren’t restricted to the homes and offices in which we live and work. Color, texture, proportion and form all come into the design of a beautifully-plated dish.

“Rooted in Color” was inspired by 303’s April Design Issue. The plate is the foundation; the main structure is a checkerboard pattern of red and yellow beets. The fun of playing with food is the versatility of our medium. In this case, the beets could have been sliced and stacked into a tower, or julienned and piled into a haystack or molded into a round disc. It’s okay to play with your food and to find fun, creative ways to adorn your dinner plate.

For this recipe, carrot and mango juices, laced with garlic and ginger, are simmered to a syrup then drizzled onto the plate’s stark white canvas. This is where your artistic side can also shine. A palette of colors is hiding in your freezer. A bag of frozen peas or corn can be puréed with vegetable stock and drizzled under a light mound of mashed potatoes and topped with a pink salmon. You will be surprised at the art that is hiding in your kitchen cupboard, too. Be adventurous and explore.

“Rooted in Color” has a complicated component in the building of the checkerboard. However, you do not need to go to that effort to enjoy this dish. A very simple option is to slice the beets and stack the alternating colors with a dollop of the chive cream in between. And don’t worry. You do not need to make your own carrot juice. These sauces are simple to prepare thanks to Bolthouse® Farms. They offer a nearly-full palette of colors with their natural juices. All you have to do is simmer them and infuse them with other ingredients such as lemon grass, ginger, or whatever else your imagination can muster.

You now have permission to play with your food.

For the complete recipe, go to “ROOTED IN COLOR”.

 

THE PATRICIAN PALETTE | MARK WOOLCOTT PHOTOGRAPHY