Today, as promised, here are two further dishes with beetroot. The salsa is less aggressive than most, fruity with apple rather than chillied. Scooped up with tortilla chips it’s a more-ish appetiser you could serve before a main meal. The salsa can be made with any kind of beetroot although the bocquerones, hardly a recipe but my own creation, look more aesthetically pleasing using rosebud variety. You could use any kind of pearl mozzarella, my choice was a basil flavour one from the pre-packed deli section at Morrison’s.
It might not be authentically Spanish but I have wanted to assemble something on sticks including anchovy ever since seeing them a Sainsbury’s magazine feature on tapas several summers ago. Bocquerone, so far as I can establish, is the Spanish word for anchovy rather than a recipe itself but these appetisers were called bocquerones in the magazine and the name has stuck in my head. It’s now my word to denote an appetiser featuring rolled anchovy and whatever other items you have to hand on a stick.
What would you like to thread on a stick? For a more traditional cheese and pineapple pairing with a twist, checkout my posh version of Cheese and Pineapple Sticks using dried pineapple chips.
Recipe: Beetroot Salsa
From a recipe by Tom Kitchin for Baxter’s
Serves 4-6Ingredients1 large cooking apple, peeled, cored and finely choppedJuice of ½ lemon1/2 340g jar sliced beetroot in vinegar, drained and cut into small cubes4 red tomatoes, finely chopped½ red onion, roughly chopped1 clove fresh garlic, finely minced2tbsp caster sugar2tbsp extra virgin olive oilBlack pepperMethod1. Toss the apple in the lemon juice to prevent it browning.2. Place the beetroot, apple, tomatoes, red onion, garlic, caster sugar and olive oil in a large mixing bowl. Use salad forks or wooden spoons to combine the ingredients together.
I love beetroots and find them so versatile. Those tapas look fantastic!
Cheers,
Rosa
@rambling tart Thank you! Stuff on sticks makes me so happy!!
@stephanie You need the cheese to soften the acidity and saltiness of the other items, it all works very well together
@faithy Thanks!
@lorraine Thanks – they are very easy to put together but the salsa is worth the effort too.
You're so clever Sarah! They make the perfect summer time party food served to friends on a patio! 🙂