Raid the Fridge Fridays: Beetroot, caramelised onion and farro salad

All of a sudden, my food looks autumnal. I mean, just look at this photo of today’s beetroot, caramelised onion and farro salad. Doesn’t that scream that the end of summer has come, and the days of root vegetables are closing in?

After all I write this as it rains outside, and I muster the courage to go out under a dripping raincoat. Rain requires hot chocolate and blankets and my very favourite slippers (which I am currently wearing).

On Wednesday, we went to Montpellier to see Gaylord’s sister and their family friend. The weather played endless tricks on us throughout the day; at one point I was covered in goosebumps as the wind tangled my hair and then later, I definitely caught the sun in my already pink cheeks as we sat at a table in the square, sipping drinks, the others shrugging off layers, me zipping up my raincoat like a defensive suit of armour. We ate burgers and seafood, peered into shop windows and I bought a stretchy bottle-green pencil skirt, and we sat in the park as I skulked around watching them, and also strangers, from behind my camera lens.

Then in the evening, as we drove home, the moody sky followed us the whole way. With every change in clouds, I would interrupt the conversation with a ‘Oh my god, look at that sky, one sec’ and pounce with the camera in hand.

Autumn and spring are the transitional seasons. Nature moves to settle in for the long night of winter. And while that required rain is currently hitting the windows, and I continue to delay leaving the flat, it’s a release after that long, torpid summer, heavy with humidity.

Beetroot and onions are the staples of this temporal time. Now’s the moment to make thick French onion soup with cheese toasts and bundle up to eat in front of the TV. It’s time for the deep velvety colours of autumn, and what could be better than beetroot to make us feel like we’re eating the seasons? (For a guide on the best food available in autumn, click here)

Once cooked, both vegetables have an earthy sweetness that is different to the fresh flavours of tomatoes and cucumber and basil in the summer. They are both beautifully complemented by fat – I mean, what isn’t – which is why goat’s cheese is often their preferred partner and, to be honest, when all three are together, they need to get a room.

Today’s lunch is an easy one. While I know beetroot is not everyone’s favourite vegetable, I think it’s the only one you can buy from the supermarket ready-cooked and vacuum-packed (apart from those pre-baked baked potatoes I once saw in Sainsbury’s).

Stir onions, quickly caramelised in balsamic vinegar, through farro – a grain which is often interchangeable with spelt, thick, chewy and robust – add some chopped rosemary or mint, then toss in cubes of beetroot. Pile onto a plate, dot with goat’s cheese and lunch is served. Autumn on a plate.

Beetroot, caramelised onion and farro salad

Farro is a chunky grain which has a lovely nutty taste and a texture similar to giant couscous, maybe with a bit more bite. Every packet gives different cooking instructions - mine divided the farro into those those little bags with holes in and you submerge them in boiling water for 10 minutes. Your cooking instructions may be different so keep that in mind.

If you’d like the dish to be vegan, then serve without the goat’s cheese.

Prep Time: 20 mins

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: British

Keyword: beetroot, caramelised onions, farro, goat's cheese, salad

Servings: 2

Ingredients

·       1 onion

·       1 tsp brown sugar

·       1 tsp balsamic vinegar

·       100 g uncooked farro

·       Fresh rosemary or mint

·       2 medium cooked beetroots

·       Lemon juice

·       Olive oil

·       Goat's cheese

·       Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Chop the onion into thin slices. Pour a little olive oil into a frying pan and set it over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion which should sizzle on impact and fry gently for a couple of minutes. Add a pinch of salt and the sugar and stir with a wooden spoon.

2. Cover the onions with either a lid or cut out a circle of greaseproof paper, dampen it under the tap and scrunch it all up then stretch it out again. Place over the onions and lower the heat. The greaseproof paper will trap the moisture inside and keep the onions soft. Leave to cook for 5 to 10 minutes.

3. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Once boiling, cook the farro according to packet instructions.

4. Finely chop the rosemary or tear the mint. Prepare the beetroot by cutting them into bite-size pieces - the right size to spear on a fork while eating at your desk.

5. Check on the onions and add a splash of water to stop them from catching. Cover again while you prepare the other ingredients.

6. Drain the farro and cool under cold tap water. Throw it all into a large mixing bowl, add the herbs, beetroot, a drizzle of both olive oil and lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Mix to combine and taste for seasoning. Add more if necessary.

7. Check the onions again and they should be soft. Add the tsp balsamic vinegar and remove the pan from the heat, vigorously stirring the vinegar through the onions. Pour them into the salad and stir altogether.

8. Scoop the salad into bowls and top with as much or as little crumbled goat's cheese as you want!