Beet Cured Salmon

January can be a month of deprivation. The New Year’s craze for cleanses and fad for fasting, all in the name of renewal and improvement, is simply not for me. Life is too short to spend at least one month out of twelve completely miserable, trying to convince yourself that you can be satisfied on green juice and air alone. Isn’t it better to live each day in balance by making allowances for those meals that are particularly indulgent by sandwiching them between more saintly dishes, or just allowing yourself to really enjoy the beautiful food that can nourish your body and fuel your fire? What month has greater need for moments of pleasure than January?!

One of my little pleasures that provides both solid nutrition AND joy is the humble beet. Gone are the days when root vegetables were just sad, boiled, side dishes. Beets are one of winter’s gems, coming in a variety of beautiful colours and bringing along some earthy sweetness to any dish. From the ever popular beet and goat cheese salad, to the ingenious creativity of the beetroot chocolate cake, beets have stepped up their game and are often the star on the plate.

This month I’m serving up two beet dishes that are both delicious and nutritious. First up is my recipe for a Rainbow Borscht, which is made with 4 varieties of beets and a whole host of other seasonal veggies. There are a number of different national traditions when it comes to this soup, and this  is simply one version of the classic dish, with a couple of twists to help bring its flavours to the next level. The result is a rich vegetable soup that perfectly balances the savoury, sweet, and sour, all while basking in its glorious pinkness.

The second recipe is an inherited favourite of mine: Gravlax, or in other words, salt cured salmon. The most traditional Scandinavian version sees the salmon cured with dill, salt and sugar. Mine makes use of the beet’s natural dye to stain the pink salmon flesh a beautiful shade of purple. If you’ve ever looked at your fingers after chopping beets you’ll know exactly what I mean! The earthiness of the beets is lifted by the herbal notes in the gin, and for me becomes a luxurious indulgence on some dark rye with freshly cracked black pepper, and a bit of butter slathered underneath.

There is no harm in trying to treat your body well (we only get the one, after all!), but there is no need to segregate food into camps of good and bad. Whole foods, prepared with care, can satisfy both the soul and the body. I hope these beet recipes strike that balance, because it is balance that keeps us right, both in life and in flavour.