When Marvellous-Mother-In-Law popped over last week, she came struggling in with carrier bags of goodies that she has grown on her allotment. Actually, now I write that it sounds all wrong…makes her sound like someone with dirt under her fingernails and a battered old Panama. Couldn’t be further from the truth, she is rather elegant in actual fact. I digress. In one of those bags were some beetroots and I went online to find out how to roast them (am ashamed to say I never have, always preferring that someone else got pink stained fingers from peeling them). Anyhow, found this lovely recipe on foodfrom4.com which goes as follows:

Roasted Beetroot & Mozzarella Salad

Ingredients serves 4

1 bunch beetroot – about 4 or 5 beets
2 balls of buffalo mozzarella
Mixed salad leaves
Chilli flakes
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Juice of half a large lemon
salt and black pepper

How to prepare

Heat the oven to 200C, drizzle the beetroot with a little olive oil then roast for about an hour until cooked through and the skin is blackened and crispy. Allow to cool a little then remove the skin.

Cut the skinned beetroot into quarters (or smaller if very large).

Drain the mozzarella and pat dry with some kitchen paper then tear into chunks.

Take four large plates of bowls and arrange the leaves equally across the four plates.

Now add the beetroot, then the torn chunks of mozzarella.

In a small bowl mix olive oil and balsamic – in a ratio of about 3 oil to 1 vinegar. Add the lemon juice, salt and ground pepper.

Drizzle the dressing over the salads then sprinkle a few chili flakes over.

Serve with warm breads