I love the soft, gentle sweetness of beetroot. They taste simply of the clean, sweet earth from which they came from. In Winter, I roast them in their skins. In Summer, I have this salad daily, accompanied by big chunks of avocado and cooked red lentil hummus or babaganous (enjoying the first of the eggplants), lightly saute small zucchini’s from the garden and grilled halloumi for the children. It makes the perfect lunch. For dinner, I have been enjoying this simple golden soup with thin slices of toasted homemade sunflower bread.
I have also been working hard in the garden preparing for our month away in England. Preparing the soil with manure, digging and turning, then covering it with a very thick layer of mulch leftover from our goat pen. It has been hot, dry and humid, so I am not sure how the garden will hold up, but I am doing my best to protect it in my long absence. I have been spending all of my afternoons in there and I feel sad to leave it. It has been my therapy, my calmness, my joy and my deep desire for simplicity.
After so many afternoons of hard manual work, I had one day where I could just sit, reflect, wonder, watch, listen, and smell. An inner quiet and peacefulness fills me just by being in my garden in those early mornings or late afternoons. I am sure if I watch carefully, I feel the plants pushing up and up. It is so wonderful to be a part of this amazing process of planting a seed, watching it grow, then eating the result of that energy force which has been nurtured and cared for with so much love. Imagine what a different world it would be if all our food was prepared with so much respect and care.
I have planted lots, and hope that the garden will be as abundant as I left it when I return.
Goodbye heat! Welcome, the green, the rain and the coolness.
simple grated beetroot carrot parsley salad
Serves 4
ingredients
2 medium beetroot, grated
2 medium carrots, grated
1 tsp cumin seeds
handful coriander or parsley, finely chopped
juice of half a lemon
2 Tbsp flax-seed oil (or olive oil)
1 tsp agave/honey
¼ cup lightly toasted sesame and/ sunflower seeds
¼ tsp fine rock salt
preparation
1. Heat a small pan, add cumin seeds and lightly dry toast them until fragrant – remove from heat and set aside.
2. Prepare the beetroot and carrot, either by grating in a box grater or using a food processor and place in a salad bowl.
3. Pour the flax-seed oil, lemon juice, salt, cumin seeds and agave in a jar. Place the lid on, and shake to combine.
4. Drizzle the dressing over the salad, and sprinkle with coriander and toasted seeds – toss to combine.
Goodness shared from Stacey
