Beetroot recipes from The Chicken Lady
Posted by Fiona Nevile in Jam Jelly and Preserves | 18 comments
Raspberry and beetroot jelly
Both The Chicken Lady and I are growing beetroot on our allotments. TCL has started to harvest hers already and raced home with a vast bunch last week. She was planning to transform them into beetroot delicacies.
She mentioned pickled beets, a Crank’s beetroot salad and an intriguing raspberry and beetroot jelly.
When I sowed my beetroot seed I had no plans beyond beetroot in a white sauce or a cold beetroot salad with yoghurt. Both delicious but not nearly as exotic as raspberry and beetroot jelly. Yesterday I drifted onto her blog Kitty’s Super Allotment and found the recipe here. Made with the sort of jelly squares that come in a packet and used to fill rabbit jelly moulds when I was growing up!
TCL appeared with a bulky bag on my allotment that afternoon. She presented me with a jar of pickled beetroot, a jar of the raspberry and beetroot jelly and an exciting extra. A jar of her new recipe – fragrant pear chutney.
“It needs to mature for a month or so.” She explained as she produced an opened jar of pear chutney and a teaspoon from her capacious bag.
“So I’ve brought this jar for you to have a taste.”
One of the traits that I love about TCL is that she is always so motherly when it comes to tasting. She feeds me with the teaspoon and then observes my reaction quizzically.
“Well, what do you think?”
My mind raced – the chutney was sweet and fragrant and absolutely superb.
“It’s marvellous. Sweet and light and exceptional.”
Danny and I opened the raspberry and beetroot jelly last night and ended up guzzling it straight from the jar. The dark earthy flavour of the beetroot was perfectly balanced by the clean sweetness of the raspberry jelly. I can see why her Aunt Sylvie always brought this at Christmas – it would be excellent as an accompaniment to creamy cheese, meat or fish. Absolutely stunning.
Incidentally – if you are not keen on the earthy flavour of simmered beetroot try baking them in the oven (skins on). Apparently the earthy flavours are lost and you just get the sweetness smiling through. I haven’t tried this method myself so I’d love any feedback on the flavour of roasted beetroot.
TCL is a great gardener and superb, experienced cook. She is relatively new to blogging – I highly recommend a visit for newbie allotment tales and recipes that use her produce. Let’s hope that she posts the Fragrant Pear Chutney recipe very soon!
You can find TCL’s blog here Kitty’s Super Allotment.
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When I decided to make the raspberry and beetroot jelly, I had some red wine vinegar in the fridge so decided to use it. Beautiful!!
Mmm beetroot and raspberry with cheese sounds like the go. I always find it hard to resist a cheddar cheese and raspberry sandwich, don’t knock it until you try it.
What an interesting combination. I would have never thought of putting the two together.
I love beetroot too! Current favourite is roasted in foil with some garlic and thyme then as a warm salad with rocket and goats cheese dressed with bramble vinegar (adaptation of river cottage raspberry vinegar – highly recommended and compensation for the brambles ruling the garden!)
Don’t forget in Hugh’s new veg book there is beetroot icecream. I’ve not tried it but it looks fab – really deep pink colour.
Roast beetroot – I do mine with olive oil, honey, wholegrain mustard and balsamic vinegar roast for around an hour hour and a half depending on size of beets. Not sure where the recipe came from now.
i started growing beetroot a few years ago and i was amazed at how well it grew..last years grew to mammoth proportions in no time..i made beetroot pasta and a beetroot dip as well as similar recipes to the ones mentioned above..
I am going to try a Beetroot chocolate cake, I’m intrigued.
Try raw beetroot finely grated with a dash of balsamic vinegar also don’t forget to eat the beet greens. Stir fry the stalks first till they are soft then cook the leaves quickly. Delicious with a squeeze of lemon juice.