Happy Monday everyone!
A glorious sunny Monday here despite us being in the midst of winter; it's not our rainy season so we have many sunny days in winter with mild temperatures.
That is why Durban definitely is the best place to be in a South African winter.
We're however still not sure if we're allowed on the beaches; apparently the fishermen have been active this weekend but our Governmental Command Council keep on sending out mixed messages, so we still don't know if we're allowed to step onto the beach!
They've been making crazy regulations like we can buy shoes, but not beach thongs; does that make any sense to you?
Our vegetable garden's progress
Nevertheless, the sun's out so I will show you how our vegetable garden is doing. Hubby has to make haste or the monkeys will be ravishing those peas and pumpkins before they even have a chance to develop fully!
Peas in the making
Tiny Baby Butternut Squash & Orange Hokkaido Pumpkin
Today I will be making a tangy Spiced Beetroot that can be bottled and kept for a couple of weeks so you'll have a readymade salad on hand at any time.
But let's take a look at some...
Fun Beetroot Facts
- It's a Hangover Cure - the pigment that gives beetroot its color is called Betacyanin, which is an antioxidant that speeds up detoxification of the liver.
- Beetroot is an Aphrodisiac and was used as such during the Roman times. This is not all folklore as beetroot contains high amounts of boron, which is related to the production of human sex hormones.
- It lifts the mood – Beetroot contains betaine that relaxes the mind, and also contains tryptophan, both which contributes to a sense of well-being.
- It gives one a good kind of sugar rush – beetroot has the highest sugar content than any other vegetable, but it releases sugar slowly unlike eating a chocolate bar.
- You can use it in a litmus test – it turns pink when added to an acidic solution, and yellow when it is added to an alkali.
- It has been used as a red hair dye since Victorian times.
- It can be made into a wine that tastes similar to Port.
- It stains easily as we all know – it’s a water-soluble dye, and hot water locks the color in, so use lukewarm or cold water to avoid staining.
- It has been served in space - cosmonauts from the USSR prepared borscht (beetroot soup) in zero gravity for the Apollo 18 astronauts in 1975.
- It has broken world records - The world's heaviest beetroot weighed 23.4 kg (51.48 lb.)
Source
Definitely no world record here, but a nice bunch of young beetroot which I'm going to use today:)
SPICED BEETROOT
- 1 bunch young beetroot, cook in salt water till tender & drain
- 1 Onion, diced
Pickling sauce: - 200ml Apple Cider Vinegar
- 100ml Brown Sugar or Maple Syrup
- 5ml Salt
- 1 stick Cinnamon Bark or Cassia Bark
- Whole Cloves, Peppercorns & Star Anise
Heat sauce ingredients together and simmer for about 5 minutes.
Beetroot skins will peel easily after cooking, dice into cubes (one can also slice or grate the Beetroot)
Mom Lily enjoys her beetroot naked with no spices nor vinegar.
Place beetroot & onions into bowl, pour pickling sauce over, stir to mix ingredients and spoon into bottles & seal.
Last but not least, let's look at the...
Health Benefits of Beetroot
Packed with essential nutrients, beetroots are a great source of fiber, folate (vitamin B9), manganese, potassium, iron, and vitamin C. Beetroots and beetroot juice have been associated with numerous health benefits, including improved blood flow, lower blood pressure, and increased exercise performance.
Source
Note: these benefits are much more powerful if taken raw in smoothies or a juice, really delicious!
This has been my contribution to Fruits and Veggies Monday hosted by our Queen of Vegan Food @lenasveganliving with the lovely @plantstoplanks popping in faithfully every week and the talented artist @barbara-orenya's cheerful wonkies showing up here to put a smile on our faces!
Wishing everyone a wonderful week further!
Thank you for stopping by
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I love beetroot. I like the herbs you add to your brine. I usually use fennel and, umm...I can't remember and either white wine or apple cider vinegar. Next time, I must try this flavour combination.
BTW, perhaps you might like to participate in @simplymike's monthly garden journal? I keep meaning to....
Our peas are coming. The broad beans - we are a little uncertain. We shall see...
I have made this with white wine vinegar before and it's just as nice, funny I was looking at my fennel and wondering how it would taste if I left out the cinnamon bark and replaced it with fennel?
And of course it's a brine not a sauce, must be the grey hairs;);)
Thank you for the tip, will look out for that monthly garden journal. We have to keep those pesky monkeys out!
The Covid figures are not looking good here in SA, our local Checkers closed theur doors today as a staff member tested positive, fortunately we shop at PnP but it could really happen anywhere! Not looking good.
Take care of yourself, but I really think it's much safer in the smaller towns.
Hosting guests used to be such a pleasure, now it's a different story with having to take their temperature on arrival all masked up and avoiding personal contact!
Lizelle, here is a link to my pickle recipe which includes the brine I use - mainly because I often make too much.
I have snoozed our listing for The Little Room and am not sure when we will host another Sunday Supper. Because it means strangers in our home and private space. For the rest, I manage self-catering places so we have key safes and will have no contact with guests. Makes things a lot easier. I hope, anyway.
Our village police station was closed for deep cleaning two days ago. Some members live in Robertson where there are lots of cases. Some families here have quarantined. However, as at yesterday, no confirmed cases here. Long may it last.
We resume the market on Saturday. We shall see.
Thank you so much for the link to your recipe.
It's really terrible how this virus has changed our lives! I do hope that things stay like that in your village and that your Saturday market indeed takes place:)
Seeing our post reminded me of my great aunt's pickled beets. She would use baby beets and can them in jars for us to eat all winter long. I can still remember the taste like it was yesterday. Beets don't grow well here so I never have a large enough crop for eating as they never grow larger than a small hard radish.
The baby beets are the best, so sweet and tender! They grow so well here, we've planted seeds and little seedlings are starting to show their faces so I hope we get a nice crop:)
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There sure has been some strange regulations coming out of this pandemic - sorry you still can not go to the beaches but happy you have a productive garden happening!
That spiced sweet and sour beetroot looks like a handy preserve to have on hand - so delicious and so many benefits!
Thanks for sharing!
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Hi @lizelle I see we are both growing the same peas. Are these suitable for picking early so that they can be eaten pods and all or can you only eat the peas? I was cooking the pods when the peas were larger but found them a bit fibrous
We grew this variety before and I also tried cooking the pods when they were still young but it was way too fibrous! I'm hoping the monkeys don't discover them so we can at least have one harvest!
Thank you for popping in @nikv:)
Looks beautiful and delicious, I like fruit juice from it very much.
Thank you @sreypov, the juice is delicious and so healthy too, I just love the colours of beetroot!
I never really know much about how to cook beetroot other than cakes. This one looks good and worth to try!
Beetroot cake sounds very good @macchiata! I did make beetroot brownies once and it was very nice.
oooh I need to find that recipe! beetroot brownies sound really yummy!
Your peas look lovely! I hope you get plenty before the monkeys take them all. Always enjoy seeing the baby squash popping up, as well. Of course I'm a huge beet fan, too. Both for the versatility and flavor, and for the myriad of health benefits. I might have to pick some up from the market this week...
We're keeping a watchful eye on them, planning on putting some protection up today. Those baby squashes are too gorgeous! Keep well, and hope you pick up some nice beets this weekend:)