1/ Thinly slice large beets.

Use a mandolin or even a sharp knife, making sure the slices are thin (about 1/8”). Ideally you’ll be able to fold them over, but you could also use two layers. (We’ll talk about that in step #6!)

2/ (Optional) Marinate your beet slices.

Marinate beet slices in bowl with fresh lemon juice, olive oil, and natural salt.

3/ Make a cheese.

Food process (or even blend) a super-thick nut- or seed-cheese.

Sample Parmesan Cheese Recipe: Use a coffee grinder or spice mill to combine (well!) 1/2 cup unsoaked cashews, 1 clove minced garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

4/ (Optional) Marinate veggies.

If you have large enough beets (or layer two beet slices rather than folding over) and want to get extra creative, you might like to marinate some nely chopped veggies such as mushrooms, spinach, broccoli, or bell peppers. Simply marinate in olive oil and salt while you’re preparing the other ingredients. You might even consider putting the veggies in the dehydrator if you’d like, but that’s purely optional!

5/ (Optional) Make a pesto.

Sample Pumpkin Pesto Recipe: Food process the following ingredients: 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1/2 cup lightly packed basil, 1/2 cup lightly packed parsley, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 cloves minced garlic.

6/ Layer or sandwich it all together.

From bottom (directly on the plate) to top: a layer of beet, topped with cheese, (optional) pesto, and optional marinated veggies, then covered with a second layer of beet. For the beet layer, you could either have a slice of beet at the bottom and top, or you could use a single circle (or cut square!) of beet folded over with dollops of cheese and pesto inside.

7/ (Optional) Drizzle and garnish on top.

If you have herbed olive oil, that will be brilliant, but otherwise you might like to just drizzle a touch of olive oil and then top with a fresh Italian herb for garnish.