Don't skip a beat!

Many a time I have been red as a beetroot (probably due to all the embarrassing experiences I've encountered) and many a time I have enjoyed eating beetroot in all its forms.

In my younger days I would enjoy pickled beetroot in salads and sandwiches, delighting at how the juices would turn everything a lovely shade of pink, including fingers, lips and tongues! There's nothing wrong with that but it has much more versatility.

Beetroot is relatively easy to grow and tiny beetroot can be picked and enjoyed for their baby sweetness whilst others can be grown to full size and harvested. The double beauty of beetroot is that the leaves can be picked and eaten in salads.

There are many varieties to choose from and, as well as the velvet burgundy, they come in an array of colours including yellows and oranges and candy striped pinks. They can be eaten cooked or raw, hot or cold. The possibilities are endless.

In Hungary I enjoyed shocking pink beetroot soup where they also use beetroot to make borscht (a sour soup served in many Eastern European Jewish communities).

In Ambleside I enjoyed a colourful beetroot starter served cold.

In Harrogate I enjoyed a rich chocolate velvet cake made with ... Yes - Beetroot!

At home I roast beetroot along with butternut squash, adding pecan nuts for the last 10 mins. This is served with a tangy cheese such as feta. The following day I eat it cold from the fridge! As a starter it can be pimped up a bit with salad leaves, a mustard dressing and topped with roast vegetable crisps.

So, without beating around the bush, you just can't beat beetroot!