Beet Cocktail with Buckwheat Blini and Roe

Prepare the beet juice. You may want to wear gloves for this portion of the recipe. The beet juice may stain your hands. Slice the beets into quarters. If you have a juicer, simply juice the beets into a glass or bowl. If not, in a blender or food processor, blend the beets and the water until it is a fine mixture. Prepare a fine mesh colander lined with cheesecloth over a bowl to catch the juice. Pour the beet mixture into the colander and squeeze the cheesecloth until your beets are relatively dry and most of the juice is extracted.

Prepare the shrub. Whisk together three-fourths cup water, vinegar, and sugar until sugar dissolves. In a separate bowl, combine remaining water, beet juice, and lemon juice, and mix well. Stir in vinegar mixture. Refrigerate 48 hours before using.

Prepare the cocktail. Mix together the shrub and vodka, if using. Fill 12 eight-ounce glasses with ice and add the shrub mixture. Top off with seltzer and garnish with pickled green tomatoes.

Combine both flours, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together soy milk, egg, and one tablespoon margarine. Whisk into the flour mixture.

Heat one tablespoon margarine in a medium sauté pan and drop the batter into the hot skillet, one tablespoon at a time. Cook over medium-low heat until bubbles form on the top side of the blini, about two minutes. Flip and cook for one more minute, or until brown. Repeat with the remaining batter. Drain onto a paper towel and set aside to cool.

Top with a dollop of the Tofutti sour cream and a little bit of the salmon roe. Garnish with a little fresh dill and serve one to two per person. The blinis can be made one to two days in advance. Refrigerate until use and reheat before serving.