Rainbow Beetroot, Walnut & Sheep's Cheese Salad

1. Preheat your oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Scrub the beetroot clean and use a sharp knife to cut them into 1cm-thick slices – no need to peel unless you prefer to. Arrange the slices in a roasting tin. Pick the thyme leaves off their woody sprigs and sprinkle on top, along with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Drizzle over 1 tbsp oil and toss everything together till coated. Slide into the oven and roast for 20 mins, till tender and starting to caramelise.

2. Meanwhile, make the dressing. Finely grate the lemon zest into a small bowl and squeeze in 1 tbsp juice. Whisk in 1 tbsp olive oil and a little salt and pepper till well combined. Taste and add more lemon juice, oil, salt or pepper if you think it needs it.

3. When the beetroot has roasted for 20 mins, remove the tin from the oven. Sprinkle the walnut halves over the beetroot and return to the oven for 5 mins more.

4. Roughly chop the parsley leaves and stalks and slide into a large mixing bowl. Add the spinach leaves. When the beetroot and walnuts are cooked, add them to the bowl and pour in the dressing. Toss to mix everything together.

5. Divide the beetroot salad between warm plates and dot over the sheep’s cheese. Crack a little pepper over the top and serve.

6. Stain-Free Prep
Beetroot likes to stain everything purple or golden. So when you're preparing beetroot, use a glass chopping board or one you can wash up straight away, and wear an apron to protect your clothes. You can squeeze a little lemon juice onto your hands and rub them together to help shift any beetroot stains from your fingers.