Chocolate and beetroot cake

Yes, you did read that right!  This is something I have wanted to try making for a while, so when I got some beetroot in my veg box, it seemed like the perfect opportunity.

Making this cake was definitely a reminder to read and re-read the recipe before starting!  I had happily peeled the beetroot when, checking back at the recipe, I realised I was supposed to cook it before peeling.  Luckily, it turns out you can cook beetroot in the microwave.  Once tender, it gets blitzed in the processor and then combined with the chocolate.

The recipe did seem to call for all the bowls in my cupboard - beetroot and chocolate in one, egg whites in another, yolks, sugar and butter in a third, and yet another for the flour and baking powder - certainly a lot of washing up! 

I was pleased with the resulting cake; chocolaty, but not too sweet, and a dash of ginger to the mix adds a nice depth of flavour.  I was expecting the colour to be a bit redder than it turned out, but that's a minor quibble.  In all, a good use of my beetroot I think; a slice of the cake, warm, with some ice cream made a scrummy pudding.

 

 

Spinach and green bean tart

One of the joys of being a first time gardener has been growing my own vegetables.  I take a ridiculous delight in being able to pick spinach for dinner just minutes before I toss it in the pan.  Freshly picked beans and spinach, lightly cooked, with some pasta and topped with a sprinkle of parmesan make a delicious, simple, supper.

So when I had Grandma and the P's coming for lunch I knew I wanted to do something that would make use of my modest crop.

Felicity Cloake does a great weekly baking column in the Guardian called "How to make the perfect...".  A few months ago she published a recipe for a perfect asparagus tart.  I tried it at the time and was pleased with the result.

This time, I adapted the basic recipe of Felicity Cloake's asparagus tart.  Instead of the asparagus I mixed spinach leaves into the cream mixture and poured this over the cooked green beans I had already arreanged on the base of the tart.  Halfway through baking I sprinkled some grated parmesan over the top.  I took the easy route and used frozen pastry, but I am no less proud of the result.

This was a lovely way to use the spinach and beans from the garden, and more importantly it tasted rather good.  From garden to table in a matter of hours.  M brought potato salad (made from potatoes grown in her garden and local village eggs) and lettuce from her garden, so it was a meal made up from a real family harvest; a lovely way to welcome in the autumn season.

I love the layers in this tart.