At home with the coronavirus around is a good moment to check through the store cupboard in the kitchen. Time for invention and, so far, the most rewarding dish has been this salad.

4 medium beetroot, trimmed and scrubbed (not peeled), cut into six wedges
3 tbsp olive oil
100-150g green or Puy lentils, cooked in salted boiling water for about 15 minutes or until soft.
40g walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
6 pitted Medjool dates, roughly chopped
4 sticks celery, thinly sliced
80g blue cheese, such as Roquefort or Bath Blue.
Reserved leaves from the celery and small leaves and stems from the beetroot.

Start by roasting the beetroot wedges. Spread them out on a large baking tray and coat them in one tablespoon of the olive oil. Roast in a hot oven (200-220°C) for about 25 minutes or until tender. Add the chopped nuts and any beetroot stems, chopped, that have been saved for the last five minutes of cooking.

Make the salad dressing by whisking two tablespoons of olive oil with the vinegar and Dijon mustard in a bowl. Add the dates and celery slices.

While the beetroot and lentils are still warm, mix all the salad ingredients together. Arrange on a serving plate or individual plates, with crumbled blue cheese and the reserved celery and chopped beetroot leaves scattered on top.