Red food

In the garden there are still beetroots that have survived the winter, in the ground. And in my cookbook from Druidstone Hotel, a wonderful vibrant recipe.

4 beetroots, roasted and grated

300gms of Greek Yoghurt, thick, creamy

3 tablespoons of fresh squeezed sharp lemon juice
a handful of tasted, chopped walnuts

a couple of tablespoons of olive oil

one clove of finely chopped garlic

salt

and always

black pepper.

I roast the beets in olive oil with some black pepper because I love the smell of the dark ruby roots and the cracked black peppercorns. There is something wonderful and jewel like about the grated beets. All you have to do is stir all the things together and then I find if you make it the day before and keep in fridge the taste is more wonderful and the colour is a feast for the eyes. 

Seedlings are sprouting up in the raised beds and I am wondering if I will have enough of everything, do I need more raised beds, should I just dig up the whole garden and plant food?

In Wales vegetables can be dangerous creatures so we keep them caged, or maybe this is just to keep the cats off the raised beds!

Red

The best things take time and I am looking forward to getting tomato seeds soon so that I can make this from fresh grown tomatoes. It uses so many so I hope that we get a good crop and the taste from bought tomatoes is amazing so home grown and fresh picked should be amazing. Untill then we have to buy them, and you can make this with cheap tomatoes. It will be fine. Or you can make it with vine cherry tomatoes and it will be most excellent ( but expensive). Sometimes we have chopped Charizo stirred in, sometimes just the tomatoes. Both ways are perfect.

So, you need about 2 kilos of ripe and beautiful red tomatoes. Put them into a tin or dish and sprinkle with three finely cut cloves of garlic. Add some sprigs of thyme, a handfull of oregano, a couple of bay leaves and a sprig or two of rosemary then douse with black pepper and a sprinkle of salt ( sometimes I put the pepper on when the tomatoes have cooked for about ten minutes because I love the scent of black pepper falling on something hot). Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar over all and stir around. 

You can sprinkle chilli flakes, add charizo, lie sausages over all or place chicken pieces on, whatever. Or just have the tomatoes.

Cook for about three quaters of an hour at 195 and sit and read by the fire. The scent of the thyme and tomatoes is heavenly. ( If you put something on like the sausages you will need to turn it half way through.)

Eat with fresh bread, chipped potatoes, pasta. And if there is any left then heat up and stir in a tablespoon of creme freche for soup the next day.