Beetroot

Integral to a good Australian salad is beetroot. I don't know if Australian beetroot is the same as what the U.S. calls beets. Perhaps it's not. You see in the Land of Oz beetroot has come to define responsiveness to Australian tastes in American fast foods. Maccas and Hungry Jacks (Burger Chief in the U.S.) put beetroot on hamburgers to satisfy Australians. However, there is a rising underswell of resentment against Subway who refuse to respond. Over at An Aussie in America, Stuart from Western Australia (WA) is having a big whinge. If you pop over here you will find a quite graphic expression of pro-beetroot resentment against Subway. Anyway, here is beetroot the Australian way. This is the way my mother, Phyllis, used to do it.

BEETROOT

Top and tail beetroot but don't peel it. Boil the beetroot whole in salted water until tender.

Drain the beetroot. Fill your sink with cold water. Plunge the hot beetroot into the cold water. After a couple of minutes, you will find the skin of the beetroot comes off easily by just rubbing it with your thumbs.

When all skin is removed from the whole beetroot, slice into a bowl.

They should be Goldilocks slices - not too thick, not too thin, but just right.

Now for the next bit the quantities are not given - it depends how many beetroot you cooked and how big and so on.

Make up a Vinaigrette of half vinegar and half water to which you add sugar to taste,

perhaps a couple of tablespoons.

The Vinaigrette has a tangy sweet and sour flavour.

Cover the beetroot in the Vinaigrette. When it is cool, cover your bowl with filmwrap and put in the frig. This will keep well.

Serve with cold meats and other salad vegetables. Put on your hamburgers and salad rolls.

As well, beetroot is wonderful as a sandwich filling on its own.

Beautiful, beautiful beetroot.