Roasted aubergine towers

These little roasted aubergine towers make an impressive vegetarian dinner party dish. You can assemble them ahead of time and just lightly warm in the oven before serving. I’ve constructed these towers using my trio of beetroot fillings that I posted last week. Not only do they add an interesting mix of flavours, but they also create a vibrant collection of colours.

Of course, making all the fillings beforehand will be time consuming, so you could just settle on one strong flavour and use that. Some kind of pesto might be the obvious choice.

I made this dish just a few weeks ago, and already I’m thinking it looks so colourful and summery – and almost a little out of place as we plunge headlong into the more muted colours of autumn. I guess some roasted pumpkin or butternut squash would add a nice touch for this season.

Beetroot trio

Beetroot three ways: A spicy beetroot hummus (left), and beet green pesto (top right) and a beetroot tapenade (bottom right)

A pink one, a green one and a deep red one – three handy little beetroot-based spreads that can help brighten up your day, and your dishes.

I think I must be addicted to beetroot, and while I’m on the subject, many thanks to my ex-BBC colleague Paula Dear who recently posted a quick-to-make and tasty beetroot recipe to Life and Chai’s Facebook page. It went like this:

“Roast the beetroot whole, then peel and dice. Fry lots of finely chopped garlic for a few seconds, add the chopped beet and saute for a few minutes. Take off the heat and stir in a huge dollop of natural yogurt. Season, add fresh mint and/or parsley. Stir into hot pasta. Maybe add some toasted pine nuts too. Bingo.”

Thank you Paula. I tried it and it was delicious.

You should also check out Paula’s fabulous blog Seventeen by Six. She and husband Jeremy are currently long term trekkers by VW campervan around South America, having some amazing adventures. Find out what happened when she ate a cuy – otherwise known as a guinea pig – in Ecuador!