From humble to heroic: How to make the most of winter vegetables

For drama, try these beautiful and tasty recipes adapted from The Rawsome Vegan Cookbook

PSYCHEDELIC SALAD

1 chioggia beet 1 yellow beet 1 large carrot 1/2 small red cabbage 3 cups leafy greens 1/2 avocado 1 tsp black sesame seeds 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil (optional)

For lemon sesame dressing:

1/2 cup water 1/4 cup tahini 2 tbsps fresh lemon juice 1/2 tsp sea salt 1/4 tsp hot chili pepper flakes

1. To make the salad: Peel the beets and carrot and remove outer leaves of the cabbage. Shred the yellow beet, carrot and cabbage on a mandoline slicer or by hand. Slice the chioggia beet widthwise into very thin slices. Set aside.

2. Make dressing by blending all ingredients together until smooth.

3. Toss the leafy greens and shredded veggies in the dressing then arrange on a plate or in a bowl. Top with avocado and sliced beets then garnish with sesame seeds and drizzle with olive oil.

BEET RAVIOLI

These aren’t really ravioli, but more of a nutty, crunchy vegan appetizer to be served at room temperature. They are beautiful and easy to make, requiring no cooking. For a vegetarian version, you can replace the almond filling with herbed goat cheese. 1 cup almonds, soaked for 8 hours 2 tbsps fresh lemon juice 1/8 tsp sea salt 2 peeled garlic cloves 3 tsps fresh thyme leaves Freshly ground black pepper 1 peeled raw beet Chopped basil and thyme for garnish

1. Drain almonds. In a food processor blend them with lemon juice, salt, garlic, thyme and pepper until smooth and thick. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Transfer to cheesecloth or a sheet of parchment paper and roll up into a cylinder shape. Refrigerate overnight, or for at least a couple of hours.

2. Slice the beet as thinly as possible on a mandoline slicer. Scoop 1 teaspoon or so of the pâté onto half a beet slice and fold over to form a half-moon. Press to close. Sprinkle with basil and thyme and serve.