A rich and beautifully coloured starter or side dish, this is a gorgeous way to serve beetroot, and a lovely thing to have on the table – or the rug – as part of a buffet or picnic.
Serves 4
About 500g beetroot
2–3 garlic cloves (unpeeled), bashed, plus ½ peeled clove
A sprig of thyme (optional)
3 tablespoons extra virgin rapeseed or olive oil
75g walnuts, lightly toasted
2 tablespoons walnut oil (or additional extra virgin olive or rapeseed oil)
75g feta
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 190oC/Gas 5. Scrub the beetroot and cut up any larger ones into chunks, so the beetroot are all roughly the same size. Put into a roasting tray with the whole garlic cloves, thyme if using, 2 tablespoons extra virgin oil and some salt and pepper. Shake the tray to toss all the ingredients together. Cover with foil and bake until the beetroot are tender – about 1 hour, but possibly longer.
Discard the garlic and thyme, if used. Leave, covered, to cool completely in the dish.
Crush the ½ garlic clove with a pinch of salt, using a large pestle and mortar. Add the toasted walnuts and crush roughly, keeping some chunky bits in the mix. Add the walnut oil and remaining 1 tablespoon olive or rapeseed oil (or 2 tablespoons olive or rapeseed oil, if you’re not using walnut oil) and stir with the pestle to amalgamate.
Peel the cooked beetroot and slice into chunky pieces. Arrange on a large plate or individual plates. Tip the juices from the beetroot roasting dish into the mortar with the crushed walnut mixture. Mix well. Taste and add pepper and some more salt if necessary, bearing in mind that the feta is salty.
Crumble the feta into chunks and scatter over the beetroot, then trickle or spoon the walnut mixture on top and it’s ready to serve. If you’re serving the dish as a starter, accompany with some good bread – sourdough or flatbreads would be ideal.
PLUS ONE A shot of bright green – in the form of flat-leaf parsley, watercress, rocket, or just about any other leaf of your choice – is a delicious fourth element in the mix. Scatter the leaves over the plate first, lay the beetroot and feta on top and finish with the walnut mix.