Beetroot, or beets as they are called in many parts of the world, are a wonderful winter and summer vegetable. Full of all things good with a great colour and flavor, beets are the best. But how do you cook them from scratch.

The are so easy to deal with apart from the slight stain you will get on your hands when peeling them, so if you are fussy about this, wear gloves.

Here is what you do:

• choose even sized beets that feel firm to the touch.
• wash and trim the beets leaving about 30 cms (1 inch) of the stem (leaf end) in tact and the long root attached to the top.
• give the beets a good old scrub under cold running water to remove all dirt — a potato brush works well for this.
• place whole in a saucepan full of boiling water and simmer until tender. This can take about an hour if your beets are on the large side.
• Once tender (I test mine with a cake tester) remove from the simmering water and place in a sieve or colander and rinse to cool under cold running water.
• Once cool enough to handle, remove the skins, root end, and stem. At this point they will all just slide off providing the beets are cooked enough.
• Slice into juliennes, add back into the saucepan to heat through and toss with a little butter, parsley and crushed garlic to serve with lamb, chicken or beef.
• Alternatively, refrigerate in a container with a lid and use over the next 48 hours in one of our beetroot salad options.