New Recipe – Battered Sage and Flowering Beetroot Bowl "Sun King" (Louis XIV)*

After having posted the Millet-“Risotto” with Vegetables and Crispy Sage I was surprised when I got so many messages concerning sage (recipes, photos and even stories about). I thought I was the only one in the world who loves sage! Because of that and as it is “high sage season” I decided to publish this recipe which is a favourite since many years. I found it in a book about herbs I bought for my mother and made it immediately. Everybody loved it from the first moment, it became the most appreciated summer-late afternoon-snack, always served with ice-cold Prosecco (my father´s favorite drink) somewhere in the garden. – The flowering beetroot bowl isn´t only an eye catcher but makes a perfect “salad” served with vinaigrette, Sauce Medici or Guacamole.

*Sun King = King Louis XIV who had a Medici grandmother, Marie de Medici, mother of his father King Louis XIII.

• Ingredients

• Flowering Beetroot Bowl
• ½ of a beetroot
• 1 ripe avocado (serves as socle, cut the peaked part, it should look like a hemisphere)

Slice the raw beetroot half with your sharpest knife. I rather wanted to have a white bowl and first tried it with kohlrabi, even with cooked kohlrabi but it didn´t work. Cucumber and courgette / zucchino are also nice, but the cones are much smaller.

Form from the thin beetroot slices with the help of your fingers cones. Place the avocado on paper or on a flat saucer (so you can remove it later onto a plate). With the help of the sharp knife make small holes in the ripe avocado or avocado cream and stick the cones into. So it is very easy to fix them. One after the other. Starting at the bottom and working upwards. As in real life. Garnish with eatable flowers (I took daisies, white clover blossoms and margaritas). Put into the fridge.

• Battered Sage (batter for about 25 – 30 sage leaves)
• 15 – 20 sage leaves per person
• 1 tsp ground flaxseed + 3 tsp water
• ½ cup quinoa or buckwheat flour (or mixed)
• ½ – 1 cup water (or 1:1 water and almond milk)
• 1 tbsp cooking oil (organic and best quality)
• garlic powder
• paprika
• salt, pepper, chili flakes
• oil for the pan

Start mixing flaxseed and water in a cup and put aside. Let it soak and swell for some minutes. It serves as a binder.

Combine flour and spices in a bowl. Add the flax mixture, water/almond milk and oil. Mix together very well, making sure that everything is combined. It must be a semi-liquid mixture – if it is too thick add liquid, if it is to thin add flour.

Heat oil in a pan over medium heat, not too hot.

Dip each leave into the batter, turn it and look if it is totally covered with batter. Place some 5 leaves in the slightly sizzling oil. Fry about one minute, turn, fry for another minute and take out. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels and sprinkle with a bit of salt.

Take the beetroot artwork out of the fridge and place it on a plate. Decorate the leaves around and serve!