The humble yet versatile beetroot here comes to life with punchy preserved lemon and refreshing yoghurt. September is perhaps the best time for eating beetroots; they’re plump and sweet, ideal served raw or cooked gently for salads.

serves 4

1kg beetroot, washed well but not peeled
2 tbsp olive oil
1.5 tsp cumin seeds
1 small red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
40g preserved lemon, finely diced
juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp finely chopped dill
1 tbsp tahini
150g Greek yoghurt
1 tbsp toasted seeds, pumpkin, onion, sunflower all work well
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Roast the beetroots for 30-60mins on a baking tray covered with some tin foil or a lid if you have one. The beetroot timing will differ depending on their size but a knife should go through smoothly once they’re ready. Remove from the oven and allow to cool a little, until you can peel off the skins and cut the beetroot into ½ cm slices. Place in a bowl and set to one side.

Now to make the dressing. In a dry pan, gently toast the cumin seeds on a low heat until they begin to pop and release their aroma. Now add the olive oil to the pan along with the onion and chopped preserved lemon and remove from the heat. Give this a quick stir and add the lemon juice, tahini and yoghurt and a little salt and pepper to create a very tasty, creamy dressing. Pour this into the bowl with the beetroots and gently stir together.

Place into a serving bowl and scatter over the toasted seeds and chopped dill to serve. This salad will last for 4 days in the fridge but is best eaten fresh.

This recipe is shared as part of the Good Food Club. We are very grateful for funding from The National Lottery Community Fund, distributed by the Landworkers’ Alliance, which has allowed us to offer a pilot of the Good Food Club this year. Thanks to National Lottery players for making this possible.