After having had a successful day in the garden harvesting my beetroots I was in need of a recipe to use them in.

I treated myself a few months back to the first season of Jamie Oliver’s ‘Jamie at Home’ series and in it was a recipe for smoked beetroots, done over an open fire. Since I didn’t have an open fire (yes, terribly sad to admit I’m braailess…) I decided to adapt the recipe to oven cooking.

I placed the beets, leaves and all into a foil parcel with a couple springs of rosemary and grilled them in the oven for an hour and half, once cooked I peeled them, sliced them up and threw them in a bowl with some olive oil and freshly cut tarragon and parsley.

I then grilled up a couple minute steaks and served them with the beets, dressed with cottage cheese mixed with olive oil, thyme, pepper and lemon zest/juice.

It was delicious and simple to make, ok, so not a 20 minute meal, but that boat has sailed, it is time to be a little more adventurous in my culinary crusade.