Kitchen Garden Forum

Many more years ago than I care to remember we were in the south of France. One night we booked into a hotel/guest house/restaurant. In those days the dinner was not from a menu but what they had cooked. When I asked what there was I was told trout, roast pork. We chose the roast pork. After a fantastic dish of local trout we had the roast pork! I must have misheard truite et roti de porc as truite ou roti de porc

What we mostly remember from that meal (probably less than 10 francs per person) was the accompaniment of beetroot salad. Ever since we have never seen the recipe in any book, English or French. Just eaten it again for lunch today. Here's the recipe - give it a try.

About one cooked beetroot per person
The same amount or less of ripe tomatoes
Garlic - as much or as little as you like
Virgin olive oil
Wine vinegar
Parsley

Dice the beetroot and tomatoes into 1-2 cm cubes
Chop garlic
Mix all together with a good lot of olive oil and about a tenth the amount of wine vinegar
Mix together and leave to marinate for as long as you like
Serve topped with a generous amount of chopped parsley

Just had our second dish of this this year. Just as good as usual - improved by using sherry vinegar instead of wine vinegar.

Did anyone try this?

Just made our first dishful this year.

Sorry Alan - didn't try first time but have rediscovered my love of beetroot and they are one of the few doing well this year so timely reminder!

Westi

Sounds fab. We'll make it this weekend.

At last! Some takers after three years. You will enjoy it, I guarantee. Here are the pictures of the salad I made on Wednesday.

Hi Alan,

I made it and everyone thought it was great. Thanks.

Regards, Gerry.

Hi Gerry

Glad you enjoyed it. And thanks for the recommendation; I keep posting recipes for things we like and it's good to have some feedback (pun intended).

And me/us. Lovely.

I'm going to make some this afternoon, I never know what to do with beetroot and I have lots.

I have a bowl of your salad ingredients mixed Alan, is it Ok if I fiddle with it ?

First thing I did was add a few finely chopped sun-dried tomato and a Worcester apple cut into similar sized chunks.

I'm tasting as I go-along and accidentally spilt a little red into the mix.

Shame about the red slipping in!

Westi

Ahhhh-yes.

I thoroughly enjoyed the final concoction with a side-bowl of Puy-lentil. This is my very-first use of beetroot, I had undercooked it purposely to try and achieve a mixture of the raw-and-cooked textures, i'm not sure this was a good idea.

Don't forget you can grate it raw into salads...gives nice texture! Never give up on beetroot - boil it, roast it in foil with spices or just raw like I said - not forgetting pickle it for later. Very versatile vege that doesn't mind a bit of bad weather. Supposed to be good for you as well..Bonus

Westi wrote:Don't forget you can grate it raw into salads...gives nice texture!

You can make a whole salad of it grated with carrots and flavoured with shallot and cumin.

Raw beetroot and carrot salad