Beetroot
Beetroot tends to be loved and loathed in equal measure, but this may be because many never encounter it beyond its pickled state (though we love it like this too).
Apparently, it’s the most fashionable vegetable at the moment. A few other ideas for your beetroot…
Beetroot crisps
Peel and chip your beetroot then deep fry till crisp. Drain on kitchen paper and serve, maybe with a yoghurt dip.
Baked beets
Trim off the leaves, rinse, scrub (don’t peel), wrap each beetroot in tinfoil and put in a roasting dish and bake at a low temperature - ideally gas mark 2 or 150c for probably a couple of hours till tender, at which point you can easily peel away the skin.
Serve as you like – or grate it in its cooked state and add to mashed potato to turn it pink!
Beetroot soup
Heat some oil in a large pan, add some finely chopped onion and cook for a few minutes, then add 3 or 4 chopped or coarsely grated beetroots and cover with veg stock. Add a tin of tomatoes, or a few fresh ones, bring to the boil, season, then simmer till the beetroot is cooked. Put the soup through a blender until it’s beautifully smooth.
Serve it chilled or hot – and you could add a little feta cheese crumbled over the top of each bowlful.