olive oil

The beetroot of my childhood was the pickled variety out of a jar. I thought that was the only way to eat beetroot and I was not a fan!

Thanks to the superfood revolution, fresh beetroot has become very popular again having found favour with chefs and food writers alike. According to an article by Khaleda Rahman in Mailonline weekly sales of beetroot in the UK now exceed £1 million.

I had a lovely beetroot and lentil salad in Gail’s cafe recently, which prompted me to have a go at creating my own salad with this purple taproot of the beet plant. I’ve never cooked beetroot before so had to refer to my trusty “Vegetable Book” by Grigson to learn how!

It takes a while to cook the ingredients for this salad, but you can do everything in advance. The beetroot and carrots are oven baked so once you set the timer you don’t need to watch over them. Of course, I also think the flavours in this yummy salad are worth the cooking time and I hope you’ll agree.

The what:

4 beetroot, gently washed (see below)

400g Chantenay carrots, washed

160g Barley (pearl barley is fine, but hulled barley is supposed to retain more nutrients although can be harder to find).

100g Feta cheese

a handful of blanched hazelnuts

a handful of spinach or mixed leaves

squeeze of lemon juice

a handful of mint, finely chopped

for the dressing:

1 tbsp mirin

1 1/2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

1cm ginger, finely sliced

3 tbsp olive oil

pepper to season

Tip:

I usually make my dressings in an old jam jar so I can close the lid and give it a good shake to mix it well. Always taste your dressing too with a piece of fruit or veg from the salad before adding to the rest of the salad and adjust, if necessary.

The how:

Gently wash the beetroot to remove any dirt, place in a baking tray and cover with tinfoil. Bake the beetroot in oven for about 3 -3 1/2 hours at 150 (130 fan). To test if the beetroot is cooked Grigson suggests wrinkling the skin and if it easily comes away from the root it is cooked. Leave to cool, peel and chop.

Meanwhile add the carrots to boiling water and boil for about 10 minutes to soften. Then drain and place in a baking tray. Drizzle with some olive oil and lemon juice and sprinkle with the mint. Cook in the oven for one hour at the same temperature as the beetroot. Remove and leave to cool. Remove the ends and chop.

To cook the barley, first rinse it in cold water, place in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, drain, return to the saucepan and cover again with about 300 ml cold water. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for about 1 hour (until tender), stirring occasionally.

To make the dressing add all the ingredients except the olive oil to a jar, close the lid and shake well to combine. Then add the olive oil, close and shake again. Test the flavour with a carrot or piece of beetroot.

To construct the salad, arrange the spinach / mixed leaves at the bottom of your bowl. Place the barley, beetroot and carrots on top. Then break in the feta cheese and add the hazelnuts. Drizzle with the dressing or serve on the side.

Enjoy!

Despite rather cloudy, overcast days, the sun has been making a consistent appearance in the evenings of late providing a great opportunity for some al fresco evening dining! I’ve been experimenting with a few different salads to have on their own or as an accompaniment to a barbecue. Here is the recipe for one that passed the Lentil and Papa Lentil test (after a few goes at the dressing!).

Brown, green or puy lentils are usually best for salads as they retain their shape and texture after cooking. However, I had run out of all of the above and only had split-red left in the cupboard. The colour actually works well with the butternut squash! Although they do go a little mushy when cooked: good for Coco and her three front teeth!

The What:

1 aubergine, chopped into chunks

1/2 butternut squash, seeds removed

40g lentils (brown, green or puy – see above)

100g hard goat’s cheese (or you can use feta as an alternative)

1 red onion, sliced

a knob of unsalted butter

Olive oil for drizzling

Some spinach leaves (optional)

For the dressing:

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp honey

1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

5 tbsp olive oil

a little black pepper

Tip: I usually make my dressings in an old jam jar so I can close the lid and give it a good shake to mix it well.

The how:

Preheat the oven to 200 (180 fan).

Place the butternut squash on a baking tray and brush with the melted unsalted butter. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes initially.

Meanwhile, place the aubergine chunks on another baking tray and drizzle with olive oil. When the butternut squash has cooked for 10 minutes, add the aubergine to the oven and cook both for a further 25 minutes.

Rinse the lentils and then put the lentils in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes (until soft).

Heat a little olive oil in a saute pan and cook the onion on medium heat until caramelised. Set aside to cool.

Once the butternut squash is cooked, chop into chunks and place in a salad bowl along with the aubergine, lentils, onions and spinach leaves (if using). Break up the goat’s cheese and place on top.

For the dressing add the balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard and pepper to the jar (or a bowl) and mix well. Next add the olive oil, close and shake well to fully combine. Drizzle the salad with the dressing or serve on the side.

For the adults a chilled glass of fruity white wine is a good accompaniment to this salad!

CocoandLentil

Beet, Carrot and Barley Salad

The what:

for the dressing:

Tip:

The how:

Aubergine, goat’s cheese & squash salad

The what:

for the dressing:

Tip:

The how:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this: