Jackson Boxer’s vegetarian recipe for roast beetroot with pickled raisins and blue cheese

Surprise yourself with the flavours in this roast beetroot spiked with pickled raisins and salty blue cheese

It’s not uncommon for people to form negative relationships with certain vegetables as a consequence of only ever having had them boiled to disintegration, a blunt approach that’s unlikely to bring out the best in any of us. Beetroot, especially, are vastly improved by being roasted instead, because that way they cook gently in their own juices. Not only does this much improve their texture, but it concentrates their innate, earthy richness, rather than leaching out of them. Beetroot’s high level of natural sweetness makes it a perfect foil for sharp dressings and even sharper cheeses.