Finally! I’ve had success with growing beetroot. And what a gorgeous sight this Chioggia beetroot is. Fairly made my day as I cut it in half.
And it looks pretty impressive cut widthways too. I do love beetroot just boiled, but with all this hot weather, I’m taken back to last summer when I whipped up Hugh Fearnly Whittngstall’s beetroot and chocolate ice cream. I’ll save a couple of these rosy roots for decorating salads, but the ice cream memory keeps on popping up in my head, so I’m off to the shops to buy the chocolate and cream parts of the ingredients right now….
P.s. Still time to sow some beetroot seeds. Chioggia available from Sarah Raven and Chiltern seeds.
Beetroot is such a good summer vegetable since boiled and chopped up it mixes so well with other vegetables. Add some creme frais, fresh dill, plus new potatoes and spring onion for salad heaven.
Hi Sue, Creme frais and dill has got my mouth watering. Will give this a try!
Nicola,A small tragedy that your family are not beetroot fans. I suggest the ice cream recipe to see if they can even taste what it is. They may even like it!
Fatima, Lovely to hear from you as ever. Yes, they taste like normal beetroots, but it is a bit weird at first as you don’t associate beetroot with any colour other than purple. Same with yellow and purple carrots!
Asa, Hope you get a decent crop this year. Have just sown a few more to see how successful July sowings can be.
Hi WW. I do know your beetroot disappointment. Been suffering from it for years, ! This year I grew them at my allotment, which has much lighter soil than my heavy clay front garden. Could this be the secret? Also plenty of rain must have helped too as soil is fairly free draining. Have just planted some ‘Detroit 2 ‘ beetroot seeds in a plastic trug iusing my home-made compost to see how they do grown this way too, but made sure the bucket was at least 9inches deep. Have you given up for this year then?
I love beetroot – and yours are so pretty. But my family HATES it. So annoying! Enjoy the ice cream version, sounds fab.
Naomi, you’re an ARTIST ! They look so nice, but do they taste like the red
ones ? Yesterday, we had a watermelon (the sunshine is finally back over
Metz !) and guess what colour it was : yellow ! but it tasted good.
Love to all the familly, Fatima
I have grown “Chioggia” in a small village above the arctic circle in Sweden and I have managed to get a crop even there from the loveliest of beetroots. This year I have moved 20 km south of the circle into a more fertile area but we have had a dreadful summer so far so I don´t know wheter I will get a crop this year. So far it looks good though, and if I can grow them here, I guess they will grow almost anywhere.
I’ve grown chioggia and boltardy this year with not much success. I can’t seem to get them to swell and I end up with quite measly, woody little things. May try them in containers next year like the carrots. Have you any tips?
Tried HF-W’s beetroot brownie recipe for a birthday treat last year, with much less sugar than he suggests, and it was wonderful. Only way I can stand eating beetroot, so probably not going to bother growing it at home.
Hi Diana, definitely not worth the effort if beetroot isn’t a veg that you enjoy eating. Just grow what you love to eat I say and what love to look at. Chioggias fit the bill for me on both counts!
I’ve had great success with Chioggia this year too. I’ve chopped them into thick discs (looks so pretty), tossed them in olive oil, sea salt & pepper. Roast at 200C for 35-40mins. Amazing.
Hi Anna, that sounds like a great cooking idea. Thanks! Am going to roast a few discs tonight.
Thank you, this is what is going to happen to my Chioggias grown in the midnight sun in Sweden. It sounds delicious!
Midnight sun in Sweden sounds so romantic. Hope you get a great crop.
Naomi, they look beautiful! One more seed added to next year’s wanted list.
I made Jamie Oliver’s surprise beetroot pudding last year, which I’d definitely recommend: http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/other-recipes/surprise-pudding
Hi Jono
Cake looks delicious and will definitely give it a try. Hope all going well in your new garden. Looks like there’s loads to do (that tree stump especially irksome no doubt) , but really exciting to have a veg patch in your own garden.
My chioggias are good this year too – about the only thing that is, so far… I’m going for roasted beetroot and feta salad, but boy does that ice cream sound good!
Hi Kate, roasted beetroot and feta-just had a Greek salad for lunch and that sounds like a nice idea for our dinner! Love your lovely green Astrantia by the way-one of my favourite garden plants.
I’ve grown Chioggia in the past 2 years for a friend who runs a local deli. He recommends slicing it very thinly (on a mandoline if possible), dressing it and eating as a salad side dish, perhaps with goat’s cheese. I found it was the only way I liked it as it loses its pretty colour on cooking and the taste was not especially to my liking. I’ve stuck to red beetroot this year but am interested in Golden Burpees for next year.
PS. I think you’re right about the soil. I have no problems growing beetroot and have always sown into raised beds (light, free draining, etc).
Hi Caro, yes, my allotment soil is so different to my soil at home and hadn’t realised (although I know this for carrots etc!!) that my heavy clay soil may be my reason for struggling before. However I’m deligjted to now be able to grow these delicious roots and looking forward to experimeting next year with varieties of all sorts.