Beetroot, Lentils, Rocket, Feta, etc.
I've nicked this one from the great Nigel Slater. I always assumed beetroot was a winter veg, but no - in season from July through til Christmas. Apparently roasting it vs boiling it makes for a tastier, sweeter end product. Try to buy smaller ones otherwise they can take agesss in the oven. Anyway, proper good lunch this!
INGREDIENTS: (to feed 4)
-500g beetroot (ideally smaller ones)
-3 garlic cloves
-half a bag of rocket
-small green lentils, 125g
-olive oil
-red wine vinegar, 1 tbsp
-feta cheese, 150g
-handful of mint leaves
METHOD:
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Trim the leaves from the beetroot, leaving about 1cm of the stalks intact and taking care not to cut the skin, otherwise the beetroot will bleed as they cook. Preheat the oven to 200C.
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Put the beetroot into a baking dish or roasting tin. Scatter the garlic cloves among them, then cover with kitchen foil or a lid. Bake for about 45-50 minutes until a metal skewer will effortlessly pierce their flesh. Remove from the tin and slip off the skins. Squeeze the soft, creamy contents from the garlic cloves into a small bowl and discard their skins.
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Put a pan of water on to boil, then add the lentils and cook for about 20 minutes until they are tender, but with a chewy quality – don’t let them get soft. Crush the garlic to a paste with the back of a spoon and a pinch of salt flakes. Stir in the red wine vinegar and olive oil, then finely shred and add the mint leaves. Season with pepper, then set aside.
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Cut the beetroot in half and then cut each half into 3 or 4 segments. Put them into a large mixing bowl. Pour the dressing over them. Drain the lentils and stir them into the beetroots and dressing. Then add the rocket.
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Break the feta into small pieces, then add to the salad and toss gently. (Mix only briefly. The cheese looks at its most beautiful when flushed only here and there with beetroot juice.)