The beet goes on...
I seem to be going through a purple patch. I will be appearing on Woman's Hour on the 26th cooking with lavender and my In Season piece on www.whyorganic.org for August will be a beetroot tart. A fabulous soup enjoyed at Bristol's Bordeaux Quay has had me experimenting at home to try to recapture the North African flavours that married so well with the sweet muskiness of the beets. Although this is work in progress, here is the recipe so far:
Beetroot & Cumin Soup
2 tbs olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
a few celery leaves, chopped
2 large beetroots, scrubbed and diced
1 - 2 tsp ras el hanout
568ml / 1pt stock or water
1 - 2 tsp cumin
salt, pepper
Heat the oil in a large pan and gently fry the onion and garlic until just begining to colour. Add the celery leaves and beetroot and mix well. Fry for five minutes then add the ras el hanout and cook for another two minutes before adding the stock or water.
Cover and simmer until the beet is tender. Meanwhile dry fry the cumin and then grind it. Liquidise the soup and mix in the cumin. Taste and season well. Serve hot or well chilled with a spoon of fromage frais.
