Make the pickled beets first. We won’t be peeling the beets so scrub them very well. Slice off the very top and bottom of the beets and. Using a mandoline or a very sharp knife, you’ll cut your beets into very thin rounds. Transfer your sliced beets into a wide-mouthed glass jar or heat-proof container.

Make the pickling liquid next. Combine the water, vinegar, salt, bay leaf, cracked black peppercorns, 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 at least 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. Then, cut the fennel in half. Remove and discard the core (at the root end), then thinly slice the fennel.

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 ricotta next, followed by the dill or fennel fronds. 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. Enjoy!