Beetroot spinach

[BankFodder]

Do you buy raw beetroot? If you do, do you buy it with the leaves?

Do you prefer to buy without the leaves?

Beetroot leaves make a fantastic very strong flavoured spinach with lovely pink juice. If it's too strong for your taste then you can mix beetroot leaves and spinach. Add some kale for extra health!

Ask your greengrocer or market stall holder if they will bring in some raw beetroot with the leaves on. Get two or three bunches – that's probably about 12 beets. Cut the leaves off, chop them roughly and then boil them down. Add cheddar, some cream – yummy!

It freezes brilliantly so if you've got too much then put some in a freezer box.

Now you have lots of raw beet left over. Don't bother to peel them or top and tail them. Just wrap each one in a bit of foil and put them in the oven at about 190 or 200°. They probably need about 90 minutes – longer than baked potatoes.

When you take them out, you can take the skins of simply by pinching it off and it will come off in sheets. Left to be quick we will burn your fingers.

Have you ever eaten hot beetroot? Take a couple and mash them with butter while they're still hot – yummy!

Mash them and add them while they're hot to home-made mashed potatoes – butter and cream – yummy!

The rest, cut them up into reasonable size chunks and pour a red wine vinegar over them and leave them to cool down in the vinegar and then into the fridge and marinade for two or three or four – or longer days. Yummy!

And here's some fun – if you eat this much beetroot then don't worry, the red colour in your pee is not blood  

[honeybee13]

I make a side dish with grated beetroot  and grated carrot. I've never used cooked beetroot but it could work.

 

Peel the beetroot and carrots [you might want to wear rubber gloves because beetroot turns your hands pink] so you have equal quantities of each. If you like garlic, chop up a clove and soften it in oil in a saucepan.

 

Add the grated beetroot and carrot with about a cupful of orange juice. Cook it gently until the orange juice has been absorbed and the beetroot and carrot look translucent - add more orange juice if you don't think it's cooked enough when you taste it. You can cook this for quite a long time on gentle heat and it reheats well.