Eat Write Love
A vegetable this colourful, hearty and earthy has got to be good for you, right? Yes, the humble beetroot is an all-round winner: versatile, packed with nutrients and deep purples so intense it can take a while to wash from your fingertips!
Before you get messy, grab your journal and your favourite pen!
JOURNALING #1: Beetroot Mandala! [3 mins]
- Draw a big circle on your page.
- Divide it into quadrants like a hot cross bun.
- Label each quadrant:
- Ground, Light, Nourish, Flourish
- Write one thing in each quadrant:
- Ground: What is grounding you now?
- Light: What feels light or lighter right now?
- Nourish: What nourishes you,
or could do? - Flourish: What feels in flourish, or could do?
Fun Facts
- The largest beetroot was grown by a Dutchman in 2005 and weighed 156lbs!
- Beetroots were used as an ancient remedy for digestive issues and for getting rid of garlic breath! (They were considered an aphrodisiac by the Romans – who ate a lot of garlic, so maybe the two facts are related?)
- The first known cultivation of beetroots was in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon in 800 BC.
- In 1975, Soviet cosmonauts gave their American astronaut colleagues borscht as a symbol of camaraderie – apparently, they served it in little bottles with vodka labels as a joke.
Nutrition info
- Beetroots are known for their heart health benefits, so are particularly suitable for this month with its links to love!
- Beetroots contain natural nitrates that the body converts into nitric oxide, which helps to relax blood vessels and lower blood pressure.
- These properties also support lowering cholesterol and are antioxidant and anti-inflammatory – this can not only support against the risk of cancers, but can support our brain health and help treat anaemia.
Beetroot Soup (Serves 8)
This is really simple, has multiple other health benefits with the addition of horseradish and dill and can easily be made in bulk and frozen.
Ingredients
- 800g Fresh beetroots
- Olive oil
- Dried thyme
- 1 large onion
- 1 stick celery
- 1 garlic clove
- Juice & zest of 1 lemon
- 2 litre vegetable stock
- 3 tablespoon horseradish sauce
- Large handful fresh dill (or you can use about 1-2 tsp dried dill)
- Sea salt
- Sour cream to serve
NB. It is useful to have some disposable gloves for peeling the beetroots to avoid staining your hands.
Method
- Pre-heat oven to 190°C
- Peel beetroots and dice into bite-sized chunks. Put in a roasting tray with olive oil, seasoning and a little dried thyme. Roast for around 30 minutes, until the beetroot is softened enough to easily put a knife in. Sometimes this can take a little longer.
- Chop the onion and celery, and crush the garlic. Heat a little olive oil in a large saucepan and gently sauté the onion, garlic and celery with half of the lemon zest and juice, for around 8 minutes until soft.
- When the beetroot is ready, remove from oven and add into the pan with the onion. Stir in for a couple of minutes and then add the vegetable stock.
- Simmer for around 15-20 minutes before taking off the heat and using a hand blender, blitz.
- Add the remaining lemon juice and zest, the horseradish and the dill.
- Mix in for one minute on a gentle heat.
- Serve with sour cream or yoghurt and some more fresh dill.
Serving Suggestions
- As a side dish or great on its own.
- Serve with potatoes and vegetables of your choice for a main meal, or just on its own for a lighter supper.
Storage
This recipe makes quite a few portions which will happily keep in the fridge for around 5 days in a sealed container, but it also freezes well – portion up and put into soup bags. You can just take out the amount you need.
JOURNALING #2 Letter from the heart [5 mins]
- Holding onto those enlivening words and practices from your beetroot mandala, write a short letter to yourself from the heart.
- Imagine you’re eating this steamy, comforting, creamy beetroot soup – the dill tickling your nostrils, breath in and out, deep and free.
- What words of self-love do you want to give yourself for the few months ahead?
- Acknowledge what’s behind you, take heart in something warm now.
Reflect [1 min]
- What one word from your letter is important to hold onto?
JOURNALING # 3 Action!
- What new beetroot-inspired dish do you want to experiment with?
- Always savoury? Go sweet!
- Always cold? Go hot!
- Declare it!
- My beetroot experiment is…
NICKY AND SONJA of Creative Concoctions – a local social enterprise, boosting creative health.
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