Boiling beetroots

I'm getting to the end of our fabulous beetroot harvest,  just a few plants remain snug in their bed,  waiting to be forked up and roasted to accompany Christmas dinners. This week I've been boiling some to use in salads and sandwiches.  It's safe to assume I'm a bit of a fan of this humble root vegetable.  


The kitchen fills with their aroma,
Earthy, redolent of the dark soil 
They were nurtured in 
From seed to garnet globe. 

Sized from ping-pong to tennis ball,
Roots shaken free of clinging dirt, 
Carefully trimmed to keep from bleeding,
They jostle in the pan's roiling water. 

When their woody hearts yield to the fork
Their drab skin will be rubbed away, 
Revealing glossy ruby velvet hearts, 
As blood red water swirls down the drain. 


© Copyright 2021. Chris Auger. All Rights Reserved 

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