Roasted Red and Gold Beetroot by Christopher Trotter

Christopher Trotter will be one of the guest chefs featured at the very first Scottish Root Camp later this year.

Up until now, the courses have been running in Devon, Wales and Suffolk, but this year marks the first time camps will take place north of the border.

The Isle of Bute has been chosen as the location and will be run in conjunction with the Mount Stuart Trust. The two weeks, from October 9, will coincide with most school half-term holidays

Root Camp is a social enterprise and cookery school for young adults aged 14-21, but this is more than just a cooking course. Root Camp takes an holistic approach to educating the participants about food and its provenance with the course encompassing a wide variety of disciplines: foraging, farming, cooking, ethical living and all of it whilst encouraging social diversity. They aim to provide full bursaries for up to half of the places on each course, thereby ensuring everyone is able to benefit from the opportunity. www.rootcamp.co.uk

Gold beetroot is not easy to find and is perhaps best grown in your own garden. In Fife, Bruce Bennett’s Pillars of Hercules in Falkland grows it organically.

Ingredients

500g golden beetroot

500g red beetroot

Cold-pressed rapeseed oil

Thyme

80g sunflower seeds

90ml maple syrup (3 tbsp)

1 tbsp wine or sherry vinegar

4tblsp extra virgin olive oil

2 crushed garlic cloves

Fresh herb leaves as garnish

60g baby chard, rocket or young beetroot leaves

Salt and black pepper

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan).

2 Roast the beetroots with the oil and thyme.

3 Toast the sunflower seeds in a dry pan until lightly coloured.

4 Blend the syrup, vinegar, oil and garlic to form a dressing.

5 Peel the beetroots, or rub off skin with your hands, and cut into even size pieces, mix with the chosen green leaves and dress with the sunflower seeds and dressing, then season to taste and garnish with the herbs.

The recipe is taken from Beetroot available directly from www.christophertrotter.cartloom.com/shop/ and Waterstones.

In association with Taste Communications.

www.tastecommunications.co.uk