Spicy Summer Slaw

Thanks to the unpredictable contents of my Riverford box, I’m always looking for new ways to combine vegetable in a healthy and delicious way. This was yesterday’s experiment which really tickled my tastebuds in a way that made it an instant share.

As a rule, root vegetables are higher in carbohydrate than those grown above ground, but eaten in moderation they provide vital fibre and flavonoids. Beetroot is my new hero since I learned it helps to raise antioxidant status in the mitochondria. Blood sugar response differs from one person to another and many people find that root vegetables don’t create the sugar surge that their carbohydrate content suggests. If you use a blood glucose monitor you can see for yourself.

Ingredients (makes huge bowl to feed 6 with lots left over)

• 6 carrots, raw and scrubbed clean
• 3 beetroot, raw, peeled
• 1 orange, skinned and segmented
• finely chopped slivers of orange rind (approx 4cm square)
• juice of half an orange or lemon
• finely sliced rind of preserved lemon (optional but it adds extra zing)
• 1 tbsp whole cumin seeds (this is the magic ingredient)
• Generous slug of XVOO
• 3 tbsp organic cider vinegar or mirin
• 2 tbsp tamari (gluten free soy sauce)

Method

1. Grate beetroot and carrots (I use the large grater on my food processor).
2. Break up the orange segments and add to the salad with rind and juice.
3. Add cumin seeds, olive oil, vinegar and tamari
4. Toss everything together then decorate the top with whatever comes to hand – I used spring onion and pine nuts, but you could use cherry tomatoes and cucumber, walnuts and orange slices, or pomegranate and sesame seeds.