Homegrown
These last few days we have been basking in the heat of an Indian summer. Glorious sunny days with only the slight chill in the mornings and the shorter evenings giving any indication of the change in the seasons. September is a good month for home grown produce and everything is ripening at once.
Growing carrots and beetroot in bags has been a great success. The carrots have been perfect, straight, blemish free and untroubled by pests of any kind. In addition, their ferny fronds provide a very attractive potted plant and once started needed little watering. The beetroot (both golden and the more normal purple) are on the small side but have also produced an abundant amount of leaf, which are one of the perks of growing your own and can either be eaten raw or cooked like an earthy spinach. To mark the last weekend of my week away from work we had a meal celebrating the food grown by our back door.
Roasted Roots and Leaves
Carrots and beetroots (with leaves), as many as you want
Garlic (one or two cloves, left whole, husk removed)
1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar (I use English apple from Aspalls)
1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (or cold pressed rape seed oil)
Fresh thyme, couple of sprigs
Salt and pepper
Wash the carrots and beetroot but don't peel (unless the beetroot are particularly knobbled and scarred) and cut into wedges if large. Keep the leaves and stalks from the beetroot. Toss the roots with the oil, vinegar, seasoning and tuck in the thyme and garlic. Roast in a preheated oven at 200 degrees until you can insert a knife easily into the largest piece. This normally takes about 30 minutes or so but depends on size. Meanwhile wash the beetroot leaves and stalks and chop roughly. When the roots are cooked, tip them into a separate bowl to cool trying to retain as much of the oil and cooking juices in the pan as possible. Put this on the hob and gently fry the stalks and leaves until wilted. Add to the roots and serve warm or at room temperature. This is especially nice with cottage cheese, a dollop of natural yoghurt or feta.
With this I served a salad inspired by Easy Living magazine using raw courgettes and radishes, baked feta and lemon vinaigrette with my addition of watercress and nasturtium leaves from the garden. Nasturtium leaves are peppery and full of flavour and as the plants usually take over our garden, there is always plenty to go around.
Growing carrots and beetroot in bags has been a great success. The carrots have been perfect, straight, blemish free and untroubled by pests of any kind. In addition, their ferny fronds provide a very attractive potted plant and once started needed little watering. The beetroot (both golden and the more normal purple) are on the small side but have also produced an abundant amount of leaf, which are one of the perks of growing your own and can either be eaten raw or cooked like an earthy spinach. To mark the last weekend of my week away from work we had a meal celebrating the food grown by our back door.
Roasted Roots and Leaves
Carrots and beetroots (with leaves), as many as you want
Garlic (one or two cloves, left whole, husk removed)
1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar (I use English apple from Aspalls)
1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (or cold pressed rape seed oil)
Fresh thyme, couple of sprigs
Salt and pepper
Wash the carrots and beetroot but don't peel (unless the beetroot are particularly knobbled and scarred) and cut into wedges if large. Keep the leaves and stalks from the beetroot. Toss the roots with the oil, vinegar, seasoning and tuck in the thyme and garlic. Roast in a preheated oven at 200 degrees until you can insert a knife easily into the largest piece. This normally takes about 30 minutes or so but depends on size. Meanwhile wash the beetroot leaves and stalks and chop roughly. When the roots are cooked, tip them into a separate bowl to cool trying to retain as much of the oil and cooking juices in the pan as possible. Put this on the hob and gently fry the stalks and leaves until wilted. Add to the roots and serve warm or at room temperature. This is especially nice with cottage cheese, a dollop of natural yoghurt or feta.
With this I served a salad inspired by Easy Living magazine using raw courgettes and radishes, baked feta and lemon vinaigrette with my addition of watercress and nasturtium leaves from the garden. Nasturtium leaves are peppery and full of flavour and as the plants usually take over our garden, there is always plenty to go around.
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