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By Root 194 0

herb leaves in a blender with the olive oil. Purée until smooth. Place in a bowl or low-sided pan and put into dehydrator for 30 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a sterilized airtight jar or bottle. This will keep in a cool dark place for up to 1 week.

Assembly Prepare a “sandwich” of the beets by placing 1 tablespoon fava purée on 1/2 of the slices. Top with the other slice and lightly press together, but not so much that the purée comes past the sides. On each plate, place 1 of each type of “ravioli,” and on each plate, at least one duplicate. There should be 5–6 on each plate. Drizzle with herb oil and garnish with fresh herbs. Serves 4

Plum Carpaccio with Vanilla-Agave Syrup and Ginger Cream

This carpaccio may be the prettiest dish I have ever worked with. One day, I came back from the Greenmarket with the most beautiful plums but had no idea what to do with them; it soon became apparent that I needed to keep them as whole as possible. I made a quick vanilla syrup with agave and sliced the plums thin enough to have a bit of translucency to them but thick enough to have a little crunch.

Carpaccio

4 red plums

4 yellow plums

4 blue plums

4 purple plums

Syrup

1 cup raw agave

1 vanilla bean, scraped

Cream

1 cup cashews, soaked 1–2 hours

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons ginger juice

1 tablespoon raw agave

Pinch sea salt

Garnish

Lavender sprigs

Syrup Combine ingredients and mix well.

Cream Blend all ingredients in a Vita-Mix until smooth. Keep cool.

Assembly Wash the plums, halve them, remove pits, and slice very thin using a mandolin or sharp knife. Place the plum slices on each plate, alternating the colors. Just before serving, pour enough syrup over just to coat. This dish is going to take you 10 minutes to make. Slicing the plums close to when they are being served is recommended. Garnish with a scoop of cream and lavender sprigs. Serves 4

Raspberry Parfait, Vanilla Bean Cream, Dark Chocolate Sauce, and Coconut Brittle

Some dishes are simply crowd-pleasers, combining a number of components and ingredients that have mass appeal. I love inventive combinations and textures, but I must admit, if I could eat one dessert only, it might be this. It’s easy to love and easy to adapt to different fruits, flavored creams, and any number of crunch additions such as spiced macadamia nuts, candied almonds, or whatever you desire.

Brittle

1 cup dried coconut

1 cup macadamia nuts, dehydrated overnight and chopped

1/3 cup maple syrup powder

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tablespoon ground ginger

Cream

2 cups young coconut meat

1/4 cup raw agave

1/2 vanilla bean, scraped

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons melted coconut oil

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Sauce

1-1/2 cups cacao nibs

1-1/4 cups raw agave

1/2 cup coconut oil

1 cup maple syrup

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Pinch sea salt

Garnish

1 quart raspberries

Fresh mint leaves, optional

Brittle Process all ingredients in a food processor just until combined. Spread into a thin, uneven layer on Teflex dehydrator sheets and dehydrate 8–10 hours. Turn onto screens and dehydrate overnight. Break apart into small pieces and dehydrate another 6–8 hours.

Cream Blend all ingredients in a Vita-Mix until completely smooth. Chill before serving.

Sauce Blend all ingredients in Vita-Mix until completely smooth.

Assembly Warm chocolate sauce slightly in dehydrator. Place about 1/2 inch of chocolate sauce at the bottom of a martini or stemmed cocktail glass. Add a layer of raspberries, then a layer of cream, sprinkle with brittle, and repeat until there are three layers of each. Finish with a final layer of chocolate. Top the parfait with raspberries and mint leaves. Serves 4

Green Tomato–“Ricotta” Tart with Basil “Ice Cream”

It’s not as strange as it may sound—by now, we all know that tomatoes are a fruit, despite their status as a vegetable in most dishes. They may not be standard fare for a dessert, but this is really a slightly sweetened variation of classical flavors.

Tart

Crust

2 cups nut flour (see recipe