Make the pickled beets first. Either scrub your beets very well or peel them. Slice off the very top and bottom of the beets. Using a mandoline or a very sharp knife, cut your beets into very thin rounds. Transfer your sliced beets into a wide-mouthed glass pint jar or heat-proof container.

Make the pickling liquid next. Combine the vinegar, water, salt, peppercorns, bay leaf, and garlic clove in a small pot over medium heat. Bring the liquid to a simmer. Let it simmer 5 minutes then remove it from the heat. Carefully pour the liquid over the beets until they are fully submerged. If you have pickling liquid left over, you can use it to pickle other veg or discard it. Allow the beets to pickle for a minimum of 1 hour before proceeding with the recipe. Keep your pickled beets in the fridge and enjoy them within a month or two.

Right before you’d like to serve your salad, prepare the fennel. Remove the fronds and stems from the fennel if they are still attached. Cut the fennel in half. Remove and discard the core (at the root end), then thinly slice the fennel. Save 2 tablespoons of the fronds and give them a rough chop. 

Choose the plate or platter you’d like to serve your salad on. Start by arranging some of the slices of pickled beet on the surface. You can blot the pickling liquid from the slices if you’d like to keep the appearance of the salad clean and tidy. Next, add some of the nasturtium leaves, then slices of fennel. Add dollops of the vegan ricotta next, followed by the chopped fennel fronds (or dill). Finish with a sprinkle of salt and pepper if you like and a few nasturtium flowers. 

This salad is best enjoyed soon after it’s made. If you prefer to only eat one serving at a time, I recommend only making one serving at a time as the salad does not hold up well once assembled.