The Back Yard Lemon Tree

I’ve have a life long love of beetroot. One of my early culinary memories is at the age of four or five making a beetroot and mayonaise sandwich at the family lunch table and being so engrossed in this task, that I missed the action of my father killing a tiger snake in the paddock next to the house. After realising the rest of the family had disappeared from the table, I strolled outside, sandwich in hand just in time to see my Dad drape the dead snake over the fence.

I grew up in an era where beetroot was an essential ingredient in the deli cheese and salad sandwich and the burger with lot. Sadly beetroot on burgers has not made a come back but my favourite salad roll in the world is the Good Ways Deli’s, cheese and salad roll which has finely shredded beetroot and alfafa sprouts on it, in a back to the 70’s nod of nostalgia.

I came across this on Sunday Kitchen’s Instagram but it took me about a month to get round to making it because my beetroot salad de rigueur for these cooler months has been a slaw of julienned beetroot, carrot and kohlrabi. This grated beetroot salad is now a hot contender for favorite winter salad. It’s flavor profile is amenable to Indian, Mediterranean styles of cuisines. I’ve even served it with tacos.

This recipe makes quite a bit of salad, halve it if you like but trust me you can eat a lot of this salad and it keeps well in the fridge for a few days.

Turkish Beetroot Salad

• 3-4 beetroots (peeled and grated in a box grater)
• 2-3 carrots (peeled and grated in a box grater)
• 1 medium spanish onion, finely diced
• 1/2 bunch parsley finely chopped
• 1/2 bunch of dill finely chopped
• 1 pomegranate -deseeded
• salt and pepper to taste

Dressing

• 1/4 cup of lemon juice
• 1/4 cup of Extra Virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of pomegranate molasses

1. In a small bowl whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing and set aside
2. In a large bowl mix together beetroot, carrot, onion, herbs and pomegranate seeds. Mix through dressing, season with salt and pepper to taste and you are are done!

Eat in copious quantities. This salad also keeps well in the fridge for two to three days.