The beetroot diaries

In an effort to actually do something with the 4-5 kilos of beets we harvested from the allotment on the weekend, I've decided to keep a record. Also, this should remind me next year of any failures - I really should have done the same thing with our courgettes, but we kinda fell into a habit of eating them grilled on whatever we were having. Tasty, if uninspiring - oh, except for the masses of zucchini bread we've made! So good... and it freezes. I'm not one for chutneys, otherwise I'd have it made as I understand you can 'chutney' pretty much all things.

Round 1:

Beetroot gnocchi (I didn't make the sauce that Gennaro Contaldo recommends - out of oranges)

I adore gnocchi. Between dying my kitchen counter pink and realising that I, with hands coated in mashed potato, pureed beetroot, and egg, needed more flour, I had a powerful sense of deja vu: I had reached this critical moment of frustration in pursuit of gnocchi before...possibly with pumpkin. And I was already disappointed that 'beetroot' gnocchi uses only 400g of beetroot to 1kg of potato...so in essence, we're talking about regular gnocchi with a lurid pinkish hue.

I also had a culinary epiphany: gnocchi are essentially my gran's potato noodles. Funnily enough, I would never think of asking gran to put beetroot or pumpkin in her dish, but 'beetroot gnocchi' had me hooked before I read the recipe.

Last night, in an effort to quickly use up yet more courgette and because we were out of pasta noodles (shockhorror), I made polenta. Generally, it's great comfort food: properly stodgy, warm, and requiring little by way of masticatory effort. I seem to be upping the stakes in the department of stodgy food - unintentionally. But I also always forget how dense and filling gnocchi are - definitely more appropriate for a starter than a main.

It was however, the most colourful thing I've ever put on the table in some ways: with grilled yellow courgette, it looked like the product of the play-doh kitchen set.

My friend G had an amazing beetroot curry at a lovely vegetarian Keralan place in Stoke Newington - and I hear tell of beetroot chocolate cake...

Beets remaining: 6lbs, 4oz