Kitchen Garden Guides

Friday, December 31, 2010

There's beetroot and then there's yellow eckendorf!

Last autumn I sowed 5 different types of beetroot. (This time I will sow them much earlier because they did very little until spring.... but that's another interesting story.) There was an outstanding winner in the taste and resistance to bolting test and that was Yellow Eckendorf. At first glance it looked quite pretty too, having skin and leaf stems of a bright yellow and large, brilliant green leaves. The roots were also large but once cut I saw they were an insipid cream colour and did not hold much hope for a taste sensation.

 

 

However, I was so surprised at the first mouthful, after cooking them Jamie Oliver style. This was better than any other beetroot I'd ever had! The cooked colour is worse even than the fresh but every day that they sit in the fridge the flavour gets better and better. I do not want to eat the last piece and have to wait so long for more!

 

These photos are not mine; I copied them from Google Images. Sadly one of the websites where I found them was suggesting this to be animal fodder! Yes, and I know which animal is going to get my next crop!

I am going to go right now and find that packet of seeds and put it on my kitchen table to remind me to sow them soon, here in Tasmania. Anywhere hotter and I would suggest you wait until March.

Happy gardening!

4 comments:

Eve said...

They are not a pretty colour are they? I'll have to try them. They sound delicious. I'm growing lots of beetroot this year (only the one variety though). I love it grated raw in salads, as well as cooked, and I'd like to try preserving it. Thanks for the link to the Jamie Oliver recipe.

AlexF said...

Oh I love beetroot, and those sound amazing. Can you save a piece for me for next week? Pleeeeeeease? :D

Kate said...

Eve, I have not grated beetroot but lots of people do. I will try it next time too.
Alex,I think I have a couple of bits left which might still be ok when you get here. I'd hate you to get sick from old beetroot though!

Richard said...

I have just been searching for some yellow eckendorf seeds for next year and found your site.We always used to bake them in the oven and as you say the taste is awesome! They grow well here in Wales, cool and damp :)