I love that the first beetroot are ready for harvest as the wood sorrel and swinecress come into season. This salad is about pairing some spiced vinegary goodness with sharp and sour foraged greens. These flavours need to be balanced with a creamy cheese and a drizzle of honey. It was also a personal challenge to make/grow/forage everything for a meal from scratch - the vinegar, the salt, the cheese, the honey, the beetroot and the edible weeds. Olive oil and spices still on the list of future life achievements… It took some time, several months really if you consider all of the processes involved, however the delayed gratification is something I enjoy.

Wood sorrel (Oxalis - any species, here you see pink wood sorrel - Oxalis articulata or debilis). Wood sorrel is a really good weed to forage - in the sense that it can be quite invasive and tastes delicious! Due to oxalic acid content (people with kidney stones should avoid in any quantity) it is sour and fresh. It makes my mouth water thinking about it…The leaves, stems and flowers are edible.

Lesser swine cress (Lepidium didymum) - belongs in the Brassicaceae family and is also known as bitter cress. The leaves are spicy like rocket and water cress. When young it grows in a pretty rosette.

Pickled beetroot salad

Serves 2

250g honey pickled baby beets

2 generous handfuls of foraged greens - wood sorrel leaves and flowers, swinecress leaves, and some baby beet leaves if you have them. Rocket, sorrel and herbs including dill and mint would be a delicious non foraged alternative.

2 squares of Meredith goats cheese or similar

Drizzle of honey

Crack of pepper

Directions

Pickle your beetroot. Allow them to cool and slice lengthways, keeping the roots intact if you can. Whilst the beetroot are cooking, prepare your greens and arrange an assortment on large plates or wooden boards. Top the greens with several baby beets and the cheese. When ready to serve drizzle with honey. Accompanied well by a piece of buttered sourdough.