ALL YOU EVER NEEDED TO KNOW ABOUT BEETROOT

Angelique has made a special request that I find some interesting alternatives to roasted fresh beetroot, so here's what I've come up with - hope it helps!

Anyone who knows me well, will know I am no fan of the lurid and garish slices of shiny beetroot which are often served on burgers and sandwiches in this country. Canned beetroot and I simply do NOT talk. Until recently I carried that reluctance over onto fresh beetroot as well, but I have since learnt that the difference is one of chalk and cheese.

Beetroot apparently evolved from a wild sea-beet which was native of coastlines from India to Britain . Two thousand years ago, prior to being modified by cultivation techniques, beetroot had a carrot-shaped root and the ancient Greeks and Romans considered only the leaves edible, whilst the roots were reserved for medicinal purposes only. The modern rounded root variety was developed around the sixteenth century and gained widespread popularity in Europe over the next couple of hundred years.

Beets, as they are known in America , are low in calories, and high in potassium and fibre, while their leaves contain good levels of protein, iron, calcium, beta carotene, fibre, vitamins A and C, plus some B vitamins. They are also reknowned on homeopathic circles for their ability to purify the blood, liver and digestive system. Raw beetroot juice has a long history of use throughout Eastern Europe as a restorative after serious illness.

European hospital studies have also found strong anticarcinogen levels in beetroots, tied to the red colouring, which explains why traditional East European medicine has a history of encouraging cancer patients to consume raw beetroot and beetroot juice.

For more health benefits of beetroots, check this link out:

http://houseofstrauss.co.uk/modules/wfsection/article.php?articleid=142

Beetroots are notoriously for bleeding their colour (and nutrients!) out during cooking, so when boiling or steaming leave them unpeeled, with the root and at least 1 inch of stem attached. After cooking, allow the beets to cool sufficiently to handle, then cut the stem and root off and rub the skins off under running water.

Chef Shane's Tip - make sure you wear gloves while peeling or your fingers will stain beetroot-purple! If this happens, try washing your red hands in salt & lemon juice to help remove beetroot stains!

Beets can not only be boiled, roasted, baked and steamed, but also eaten raw, or even smoked! Check this link for an interesting Paperbark-smoked Beetroot Salad:

http://www.benjaminchristie.com/recipe/101/paperbark-smoked-beetroot-salad

And, of course, no discussion of beetroot would be complete without a mention of Borsch or Borscht. This beetroot soup probably originated in the Ukraine, and is specially popular throughout Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania and Poland. Usually served topped with a swirl of cream or sour cream, or sometimes little dumplings. There are a million different borscht recipes out there, including options for serving the soup hot or cold, so simply do a search from www.google.com on "recipe borsch" and be prepared to spend some time finding the variation to suit you the best!

BEETROOT & POTATO MASH

500g whole beets

1 tbsp vinegar

500g potato

2 tbsp cream

50g butter

Sea salt & cracked black pepper to taste

Cover 500g beets with water, add one tablespoon of vinegar (this reduces the odour plus keeps the colour vibrant) and boil until soft (about 30 minutes for small beetroots, up to 1 ½ hours for medium sized vegetables and a skewer should slide easily all the through). Simultaneously boil 500g peeled potatoes in salted water until very soft.

Peel the beets whilst still warm under running water, and mash them with the potatoes, cream, and butter. Season to taste with sea salt and cracked black pepper.

SPICY BEETROOT & LEMON MYRTLE DIP

500g beetroots, roasted

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp ground lemon myrtle spice

1 tsp Voodoo Moon's SEVEN GATES OF HELL

Sea salt to taste

Olive oil

Puree all ingredients together, slowly drizzling olive oil in until the dip is at your preferred consistency.

FETA, BEETROOT & MACADAMIA SALAD

250g baby beetroot

1 small cos lettuce

200g feta

50g macadamia nuts

Small handful mint leaves, torn

Small handful basil leaves, torn

Small handful parsley or chives, roughly chopped

2 tbsp lemon juice

5 tbsp macadamia oil

1 tsp honey

Pinch sea salt & black pepper

Wash the beetroot and discard the leaves. Cover with water in a pan and boil for about 20 minutes until tender when skewered. Drain, and allow to cool enough to handle, then peel off the skin and quarter the beetroots, toss with the dressing ingredients and the rest of the salad ingredients.

Chef Shane's Tip - Toss the beetroots with the combined dressing ingredients while still warm, as they will take the flavours on better!

BEETROOT RISOTTO WITH TRUFFLE OIL

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp butter

1 onion, finely diced

½ tbsp garlic, minced

250g Arborio rice

1 litre Vegetable stock

Juice and grated rind of 1 lemon

S+p

250g baby beetroots

Roast the beetroots until tender, then puree with olive oil to a paste and reserve.

Sweat off onions and garlic, then add the rice and cook over a medium heat, stirring well and continue to simmer until the rice loses most of its chalky white starch. When the rice is mostly translucent, add the vegetable stock ladle by ladle as the rice absorbs the stock and cooks out. When the rice is ready to serve, stir in the beetroot paste, lemon juice, sea salt & pepper to taste.

And, of course, if you fancy a little spice in your life, add a teaspoon of Voodoo Moon's SEVEN GATES OF HELL, ETERNAL DAMNATION or GOLDEN DRAGON sauces!

Serve this risotto topped with Moroccan spiced rack of lamb, or a compote of wild mushrooms sautéed in butter and truffle oil.

Further beetroot reading:

http://homecooking.about.com/cs/vegetables/a/beets_2.htm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/spicybeetrootandcoco_74635.shtml

(This link has a great Beetroot & Coconut Soup recipe)

http://www.asianonlinerecipes.com/vegetables-guide/beetroot.php

http://www.vegparadise.com/highestperch1.html

http://www.eattheseasons.co.uk/Archive/beetroot.htm

and the piece de resistance - Stephen Nottingham's HUGE online book on beets, containing everything you ever needed to know plus a few extra bits!

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Stephen_Nottingham/beetroot.htm

Be excellent to each other

Shane Pinnegar

June 2005