beetroot and other salads

I have always been terrified of cooking beetroot. Apparently you musn't make it 'bleed' but how do you test if it is cooked without stabbing it with a knife?

Pre-packed all the way for me. [shame]

I grate beetroot raw, mix with pieces of fresh orange - delicious. Also grated carrot with raisins.
My fave at the moment is lettuce and salad leaves from the greenhouse, tomatoes, cucumber, avocado with vinaigrette.

ps - sorry Lindylou !

I don't know why people don't grow them now. From my experience they're the easiest veg. to grow. No pests etc. All you need is a small patch of soil.
I'm waiting until husband has put up the last fence posts above a small plot and I'll put in some seeds, or seedlings.

Ah Fennel, that's why my Tesco didn't have any beetroot today - you bought the last bunch (smile)

The beetroot takes me back to childhood when we grew our own and mum boiling them------and me eating them ! As you said, sweet and the best flavour ever. I still prefer to boil them and slice them myself rather than ready done.
We grew radish as well, big fat and juicy with that lovely peppery overtone. Tomatoes and cucumber from next doors greenhouse. Thinking back, everything we ate was home-grown and mum even had her home-made pressed tongue or, and brawn.