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RecipesMENU HIGHLIGHTS AT ELSA VAN DER NEST’S FAREWELL LUNCHEONRead the story about Elsa van der Nest’s farewell lunch in our Out and About column. Here are some of the menu highlights, prepared by Sheila Steenkamp’s catering company, Pomegranate. Sheila pulled out all the stops with a menu that steered clear of hype and fussiness. (Sheila and Debbie Reinders’ Flavours of Africa presents luxurious African theme evenings for privileged guests at this remarkable function venue that accommodates up to 100 people.) CONTACT DETAILSPomegranate; Sheila SteenkampTel (021) 683-3032. Cell 082 927-7906 Email: sheila@pomegranate.co.za www.flavoursofafrica.co.za Click the recipe's title for the full recipe:
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Previous RecipesSpring menuInfoALL ABOUT BEETROOTPerhaps it's the colour. Maybe it's the shape. Certainly it’s the flavour. Beetroot is a vegetable that inspires creative cooks who are on the look-out for new flavour. HISTORY: There are many varieties of the beetroot plant, some cultivated solely for distillery purposes, some for animal feed, some for vegetable. Ancient Romans are reported to have enjoyed the leaves, the French customarily garnish salads with the whiskery roots, but beetroot as a table vegetable are believed to have been developed by German gardeners in the Middle Ages. From there the European enthusiasm for it spread north and east – to countries like Russia and Poland, which still prepare some of the most interesting beetroot dishes around. PURCHASING AND PREPARATION: Choose a bunch with even-sized beetroot, which makes for easier cooking. If the leaves are perfect, so much the better, for they are delicious as a vegetable, lightly steamed and flavoured with a little milled black pepper. Check that the whiskery roots are intact and at least 5 cm of the stalk is unbroken. If not (or the skin is pierced) the purple juice will bleed away as it cooks. Rinse clean in cold water. Don't scrub – you'll risk damaging the skin – and trim the stalks to about 5 cm of the bulb. Boil beetroot in a covered pot with plenty of salted water (15 ml salt per 1 kg / 2 bunches). Cooking time is 45-90 minutes, depending on the size. Baking retains the flavour better: place washed and trimmed beetroot in a baking dish, sprinkle with water and cover with foil. Allow a little head-room, but press the foil onto the edges of the dish. At 150ºC the cooking time will be 1 to 2 hours, depending on size. If you're using the oven for something else that requires a higher heat, reduce the cooking time accordingly. To microwave, prick the skins lightly to prevent bursting, place in a microsafe dish and cook uncovered on full power. Allow 6-8 minutes per 250 g beetroot. Beetroot is cooked then the skin next to the root wrinkles easily and comes away, it's done. Or check the tenderness by piercing with a skewer. To serve hot, skin, slice and arrange in a serving dish – or leave them whole if they're small. Season with sea salt, milled pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve with or without a sauce; horseradish sauce or sour cream mixed with a little horseradish is delicious. BEETROOT AND YOUR HEALTH: The ancient Romans used to treat fevers with beetroot – and the benefits in speeding the recovery of patients is still being researched! The betamine that causes the red colour has no nutritional values that we know of, but we do know that beetroot are rich in easily digested carbohydrates, high in chlorine and fairly low in kilojoules. Don’t jettison the leaves, they are rich in potassium, carotene and folic acid, and can be steamed just like spinach.
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