At our Winter Seasonal Market, Anna Guerrero and Alex Elliot Howery of Clove shared a collection of whole vegetable recipes that bring hearty, nourishing low-waste meals to the kitchen.
This wintry salad makes use of all the flavours and textures of the whole beetroot – 1 bunch beetroots, with stems and leaves.
Here, the beetroot bulbs are roasted to intensify their natural sweetness, while the stems are turned into a tangy salsa and the leaves are very thinly sliced to add crunch and lighten things up. This beautiful earthy salad is always a winner in the cooler months.
INGREDIENTS
For The Beetroot Stem Salsa
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, red, finely chopped
1⁄2 bunch dill, chopped
1 bunch of Beetroot Stem, thinly sliced
1⁄4 tsp chilli, flakes
1 tbsp capers
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
To Assemble The Salad
3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp horseradish, grated
1⁄4 tsp salt
1 handful of beetroot bulbs
1 handful of beetroot leaves, thinly sliced
1⁄2 bunch dill, chopped
1⁄4 cup pepitas, toasted
1⁄2 tsp black pepper, cracked
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Separate the bunch of beetroots into the leaves, stems and beetroot bulbs, keeping the bulbs whole. Give everything a good wash and dry well.
Keep any small tender leaves whole and thinly slice the medium-sized beetroot leaves.
Discard any old gnarly leaves.
For The Roasted Beetroots
Place the whole beetroot in a baking dish so they fit snugly.
Add a few tablespoons of water and tightly cover with foil.
Bake for about 1 hour, until the beetroot are soft enough to pierce with a knife but not mushy.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes.
For The Beetroot Stem Salsa
Thinly slice the stems to make the beetroot stem salsa.
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over low heat.
Add the chopped red onion, thinly sliced beetroot stems, chopped dill leaves and stems and the chilli flakes, and sauté for 10 minutes.
Add the capers, salt and red wine vinegar. Cook for 5 minutes or until soft and sweet.
Put the beetroot stem salsa into a container.
Note: You’ll need a few tablespoons of the salsa for this salad, so store the rest in the fridge for up to a week.
To Assemble The Salad
Once the bulbs are cool enough to handle, the beetroot skins should easily slip off using your hands.
Cut the beetroot into wedges and place in a large bowl.
Add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, grated horseradish, a few tablespoons of the beetroot stem salsa and salt, then gently fold through the beetroot leaves.
Tip the salad into a shallow serving bowl, top with the herbs, toasted pepita seeds and plenty of black pepper, and serve.
For more Whole Vegetable Recipes check out the collection at Clove.
The Carriageworks Farmers Market is on every Saturday 8am-1pm, providing the freshest seasonal produce from growers and producers from around NSW.