I find that beetroot is an oft under-rated root vegetable. It is low in fat, full of vitamins and minerals and packed with powerful antioxidants – a health-food titan. Many people have only ever eaten it pickled in harsh malt vinegar which totally overpowers the true delicacy of its flavour. If you haven’t tried it before either baked or roasted with herbs and flavoured with more sophisticated vinegars such as a good red wine vinegar, sherry vinegar or balsamic vinegar, it will be a revelation. I love this balsamic roast beetroot served with beef as part of a Sunday or Boxing Day roast. In summer, this makes a great salad on its own or with a crumble of feta cheese.

• Serves 4 to 6 as a side dish
• A large bunch of evenly sized raw beetroot
• A spring of fresh rosemary
• A sprig of fresh thyme
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsps light olive oil
• Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
• 2 tbsps good quality balsamic vinegar

To make…

• Preheat the oven to 200C.
• You’ll need a medium sized roasting dish so that the beetroot can be spread out evenly. Add the light olive oil, balsamic vinegar, a good half teaspoon each of salt and pepper and the rosemary to the dish and mix thoroughly.
• Give the beetroot a good clean in cold running water and trim the stalks to make it easy to handle. To protect your hands from staining wear rubber gloves and follow my steps on minimal handling. Peel the beetroot one by one and put them to one side on a plate. Once all the beetroot have been peeled, cut each one in half from top to bottom and then each half into three more slices from top to bottom so that they look like chunky cut chips.
• Toss the beetroot chunks in the oil and vinegar mix. Cover the dish with foil and roast in the oven for 40 minutes. Uncover and roast for another 20 minutes. The beetroot should still be soft but hold its shape, the oil and vinegar caramelised on the surface of the beets.
• Serve warm with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a scattering of fresh thyme leaves.

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