Page 31 - ALG Issue 3 2020

Bountiful Beetroot
When I was a child in the fifties, greengrocers boiled up big beetroots in their shops and sold them hot and steaming. My mother could not resist the smell and was drawn in to buy. She would bring the still hot beets home to peel, and either eat them straightaway in the next salad or set some aside in vinegar for later. I share her love of beetroot but I think she was missing out. There is so much more
to this highly nutritious and versatile vegetable.
On our allotment I make three or
four sowings throughout the season.
I always sow the seeds quite close together, about 3 centimetres apart, so that I can put the leaves of the first thinning in salads. As soon as the roots swell to about the size of a large marble, I thin them again and we have the small beets raw, just sliced up and served in a salad dressing. The next phase involves more work as I grate the golf ball sized roots and mix with other grated vegetables to make a multicoloured salad. This works well
with carrots, radishes, some apple and a few chopped walnuts and raisins. A small amount of finely grated ginger adds a real zing.
I do cook the larger ones, sometimes by boiling in my electronic pressure cooker. The trick here is to pick about eight of a similar size so that they need the same cooking time. If I have a variety of sizes, I peel them, cut them into wedges, sprinkle a little olive oil over them and roast them in the oven. Some sprigs
of rosemary on the top make a richer flavour and a divine smell while they are cooking. Either cooking method is suitable for eating hot or using cold in a salad later.
Later in the season I pickle some with an eye to Christmas gatherings and the dreaded lean period in the new year. My method for this is very simple. I cook the beets in my pressure cooker for about 20 minutes, and when they are nearly cooked, I warm up 500mls of red wine vinegar. I peel and slice the beets and pack them into warmed jars, fill the jars
As soon as the roots swell to about the size of
a large marble, I thin them again and we have the small beets raw
with the hot vinegar and add a teaspoon each of sea salt and pepper corns before sealing. If I have heated too much vinegar, I let it cool and put it back in the bottle, as it is too expensive to waste! I have tried many recipes over the years but this simple method suits me best and satisfies my need to eat gluten-free.
Now here is the real boon. I leave a few beetroots in the ground at the end of autumn and let them get woody. The leaves die down of course, and the beets are inedible, but in the spring new green growth sprouts from the tops and this forms a wonderful addition to my salads when there really isn’t much else around. They only produce this bounty for a few weeks before getting too tough, but they fill me with excitement about the promise of the new season.
My mother would be amazed!
Jill White, Sturry Road Allotments, Canterbury
write an article
WIN an individual subscription to the magazine for a year plus £25 worth of gardening-related books!
Not sure what to write?
Your contribution could be something regional, or even just some general tips you find useful and that you’d like to share. Please keep to a maximum of 850 words, ideally around 5-600 words with images. We will edit and proofread if necessary and may split longer articles across more than one edition.
How do I submit my article?
Email your article to natsoc@nsalg.org.uk
(individual subscription worth £10 to members, £15 to non-members)
www.nsalg.org.uk
For further details regarding magazine submissions, please see page 3 or call Jayne at Crest Publications on 01536 317000
Allotment
& LEISURE GARDENER
The membership magazine for the National Allotment Society Issue 4 • 2019
Mulching l Growing to show Chillis l Competition winners
The winner for ALG 2 2020 is:
Sarah Ford for
Allotmenteering and Social Media
Allotment
& LEISURE GARDENER
The membership magazine for the National Allotment Society Issue 2 • 2019
Lantra l Aaron Hickman
On the Kings plot l NAS holiday Let's talk allotments l Pollinators
Allotment and Leisure Gardener 31