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Can’t beat beetroot in August’s kitchen

I was never a big beetroot fan until I started roasting it and now I love it hot from the oven in all its lovely juices. I make tinfoil parcels and add in some oil and herbs or some orange zest then roast at around 200C for about 40 minutes until a skewer pushes in easily. It will keep for a few days in the fridge as well so I can add it into salads any time!

Here’s a cooked beetroot recipe that we’ve been doing at Southport show  – it’s easy to do but can be shown off as a bit of a deli type treat!

Pan roasted honey & thyme beetroot with whipped feta

Some things just go together perfectly and the cool tangy feta works perfectly with the hot, sweet sticky beetroot!

Serves 2

2 cooked beetroot, cut into wedges

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp honey

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

Few thyme leaves

50g feta

1 tbsp Greek yoghurt

Lemon zest (optional)

Extra thyme leaves (optional)

Black pepper

Toasted chopped walnuts (optional)

Toasted sourdough

  • Crumble the feta into the bowl of a small blender then add in the Greek yoghurt. Blitz for 30-60 seconds, scrape down the sides and blend again until smooth. Add a dash of olive oil if it looks too thick to spread smoothly – it should be the consistency of cream cheese. Add in a little lemon zest and some thyme leaves if you like
  • Heat oil and butter in a frying pan then fry the beetroot over a medium heat until lightly caramelising on all sides
  • Turn down the heat a little and add in the honey, the balsamic and the thyme. Stir together to coat the beetroot then cook for a minute until the liquids have thickened and are sticky and shiny
  • Spread whipped feta onto your toasted bread then spoon over the hot beetroot.
  • Scatter over the toasted walnuts and some cracked black pepper.

If you haven’t got a blender or a stick blender then you can do it by hand. Mash the feta with a fork then add the yoghurt a bit at a time and use a small whisk or a spoon to beat together till smooth. It might not be as silky smooth but will still taste just as good!

I like to serve this on some toasted sourdough bread but it works well with a main meal. Serve alongside a salmon fillet and some new potatoes or some grilled chicken breast.

The beetroot will keep in the fridge for a couple of days and is lovely served with cold meats or simply added into a salad.