My cookbook bookcase had to be cleared to make way for moving furniture around the house and laying some new carpets. A good chance to go through the books that I have. One, The Cook and the Gardener by Amanda Hesser, was a revelation. Published in 1999 and with a sticker on the jacket saying it was ‘A BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK’, I didn’t even remember buying or being given it. Looking through there are some lovely recipes based on the author’s time living in France. This recipe for beetroot is a delight.

4 medium sized beetroot
3 shallots
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
8 leave sage
Salt
1 tbsp brown sugar (optional)

Peel the beetroot and, preferably using a mandoline, slice them vertically as thinly as possible. Peel the shallots and slice these.

In a large sauté pan fitted with a lid, melt the butter with the olive oil. Add the sliced beetroot, shallots and sage and toss them around to coat. Add salt and sugar (if using) and cover. Cook gently for 30-35 minutes or until the beetroot is glassy and soft when poked with a fork.

(This dish can also be cooked in the oven using an ovenproof baking dish tightly covered with foil and baked at 190°C.)

Check the seasoning, remove the sage leaves and serve hot arranged in a dish.