Autumn has always been the time we associate with harvesting beetroot, but I also love to sneak in a few little new sowings at this time of the year. Late sowings won’t really eventuate into a particularly impressive taproot but you can harvest some delicious young baby beet leaves which are fantastic as a winter salad leaf of course, or ever so lightly sautéed for barely 30 seconds – you can even just wilt beet leaves through a warm dish like you would spinach at the end of cooking.

I don’t follow any rules for growing beet leaves – just sow the seed fairly densely in any spare space you have and once the leaves are 2-3 inches long just start picking them. With a late sowing at this time of year, just keep picking for as long as the beets last into the cold.

In terms of harvesting summer sown beetroots, my favourite way to eat them is either roasted or raw. One of Growhampton’s amazing student volunteers, Celia, recently cooked and shared this amazing Pinkelicious Beetroot Salad at one of our regular Thursday market days.

Ingredients (serves 2-3 people)

  • Two handfuls of Salad Mix and chopped beetroot leaves
  • 3 large or 4-5 small beetroots
  • 1 grated beetroot
  • Half chopped cucumber
  • Cherry tomatoes (as many as you like)
  • 2 spring onions
  • 1-2 cloves finely chopped garlic
  • Feta cheese

Use either: 2-3 handfuls of penne pasta or 200mL quinoa or 200mL couscous (I use a couple of sprinkles of dill if using couscous).

Method:

  • Pre-heat oven 200⁰C. Quarter your beets and roast them in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
  • Cook your chosen pasta, quinoa or couscous according to the packet instructions (stir through the dill if using couscous).
  • Chop all your salad veg (cucumber, tomato, grated beetroot, spring onion, garlic) and mix.
  • When roasted beets are done, add them to the salad. Same with the pasta/quinoa/couscous.
  • Serve on a plate with feta cheese, S&P, olive oil and if you like, some balsamic vinegar and Bon appetite!

Happy eating and thanks kindly to Celia Briseid for her delicious recipe! Growhampton’s market days are held every Thursday outside The Hive Café at the University of Roehampton, and everyone is welcome, especially local people who live near the University.

Joel
Joel Williams is the Grower for the University of Roehampton Students’ Union’s Growhampton project