Beautiful beetroot!

I get that cooking fresh beetroot is a bit of a faff. I roast mine, it's cleaner and you don't have to stand around watching it boil on your hob. All you need to remember is to set your timer. The other benefit with roasting beetroot is that you can, once again, cook it ahead of whenever you need it.

Choose beets of a similar size - preferably as small as possible and roast in foil – 180fan/200c/Gas 6 for an hour and then test with a paring knife, leave to cool and then peel. If your beets are larger then you may need another 15 minutes, then test again.

Take full advantage of what's in season, which is why beetroot is front of stage on this menu and not just a usual salad suspect.

I'm including two of my favourite beetroot side recipes, adaptable for so many dishes both hot and cold, here goes :

Bazzin' beetroot relish

300g of cooked beetroot

peeled and cut into small cubes

1 sharp eating apple, peeled, cored and cut

into small cubes

1 medium onion, finely chopped

75g soft dark brown sugar

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and black pepper

Don't forget to use gloves when prepping your beetroot!

Mix well and place all the ingredients in a medium saucepan – 16cms in diameter. Simmer on a low heat, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until all the liquid has been absorbed.

Take the pan off the heat and allow to cool. Box up and fridge until ready to use.

This recipe is one of my favourites and I use it all the time – anywhere you want a relish or a side it fits the bill - from baked salmon or honey glazed gammon to plain and simple with bread and cheese.

If you don't have the time, there's a plan b - use the organic vac packs of beetroot you can get in the supermarket – good too when it's out of season - I try and choose beetroot that is approximately the same size – a 300g vac pack gives you 8 small to medium beetroots, which I will then cut in half.

More beetroot ...