Who knew beetroot could taste so good?

Lovely goodies donated by Mammy Enright

I was just so excited about the fact that I cooked beetroot today and it didn't taste like muck, I had to shout about it.

After a lovely trip down the country I left the farm laden with produce from the allotment. (That's a sentence I never thought I'd hear myself say, but there it is.) Beetroot, potatoes, onions, lettuce and more strawberries than I've ever seen in one place. With my only real experience of beetroot being pickled, I didn't think I cared much for it but after today's experiments I have to say I'm a convert.

I couldn't let the chance go by to cook with ingredients that were in the ground yesterday and in my pot today. City girl that I am, this is still somewhat of a novelty for me and something I find really exciting. Judging by today's results, it really does make a difference.

First was a delicious River Cottage beetroot soup with a spiced yoghurt dressing. No muckiness here, just a delicious sweet soup with the tangyness of the yoghurt really complementing the sweetness of the beetroot. The home grown onions probably added something to the end result as well.

Also from River Cottage was a recipe for beetroot and feta salad which, as I have a bit of a salad fetish, I had to try. And again, an absolute triumph. I roasted the beets in the oven, with garlic, thyme, seasoning and olive oil for about an hour and a half. Then into a simple salad of leaves from the farm, red onion, feta and a simple oil and lemon dressing. Perfection. And probably the healthiest dinner I've had in ages.

Only a small bit of beetroot left, which will be going into beetroot humous from ......you'll never guess.....River Cottage. God, I wish I lived there.
That's to follow. Need to borrow a food processor first!

The strawberries have taken up residence in my freezer until I can get some people round to help with the eating.