BEETROOT GAZPACHO

Pick n Pay’s executive chef Yvonne Short knows and appreciates food. She shares her expertise and fine recipes inspired by the Pick n Pay pantry

SERVES 4-6 The deep purple root that has come of age is favoured by five-star chefs and home cooks alike. No longer relegated to a bottle, grated or sliced and steeped in sweet vinegar, fresh bunches are the inspiration for many fine dishes like this cold soup.

Soup:

4 (about 400g) medium-sized beetroot 1 cucumber, halved 1 red pepper, halved 1 red onion, halved 500ml (2 cups) vegetable stock 2 ripe red tomatoes 1-2 jalapeño chillies (optional) 1 large clove of garlic A handful of fresh coriander leaves 60ml (1/4 cup) red wine vinegar, plus extra for serving 60ml (1/4 cup) extra virgin olive oil, optional Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For serving:

250ml (1 cup) full-fat plain yoghurt 2-3 panini, sliced vertically olive oil 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced 100-200g Parma ham, sliced (you can use thin slices of smoked beef) Place the beetroot and a half each of cucumber, pepper, onion and the stock in a blender. Blitz until chopped then add remaining ingredients except reserved vegetable halves — and puree until completely smooth. Strain the soup through a sieve and allow to stand for 30 minutes. Season. Stir yoghurt through the soup and chill well. Finely dice remaining veggie halves and set aside. Brush sliced bread with oil and toast. Rub each slice with garlic and wrap with a slice of Parma ham. Serve gazpacho in glasses and allow everyone to add vegetable toppings and drizzle of oil.

TIP: To stop raw beetroot leaching purple juice, dip it in boiling water before using.