Beetroot Hummus

I love beetroot, and am always pleased to see it turn up in the organic box. The young man is suspicious of it, understandably so as his Mum always gave it to him pickled. It can be so much better than that.

50g walnuts

1 tbsp cumin seeds

25g stale bread without crusts

200g cooked beetroot, cubed

1 tbsp tahini

1 large clove garlic, crushed

Juice of a lemon

Salt & pepper

Olive oil

To cook the beetroot, boil it – it will take longer than you think. Peel it when it’s cool. I put newspaper down to avoid turning the kitchen surfaces pink. The skin should just rub off with your fingers.

Dry fry the cumin until it aromatises and then bash in a mortar.

Put the bread and walnuts in a food processor and whizz until finely chopped. Add the beetroot, half the lemon juice, cumin, garlic and salt and pepper. Blend to a thick paste. Loosen with olive oil if it’s too thick. Taste and add more lemon juice or salt & pepper if needed.

To make a meal of this, serve with plenty of toasted flat bread for dipping. Slightly burned bits will add some crunch. Some regular hummus wouldn’t be a bad thing. If shop bought, stir in a good squeeze of lemon juice to perk it up. A chalky goat’s cheese would be good, as would be some marinated green olives and a big jar of Turkish pickles.

Something about the self assembly aspects of this meal appeals to the guy. Make it a picnic by spreading a rug on the floor. Taking him by surprise usually pays off.