Babies love this beautifully coloured dip spread on fingers of toast, or eaten off a spoon. It’s flavoursome enough for grown ups though: if you’re making it just for adults add a pinch of salt. As ‘hummus’ is the Arabic word for ‘chickpeas’ this is not technically hummus, but we all know what we mean…

Note: this recipe contains sesame (tahini) and requires a food processor.

Ingredients
2 whole roasted beetroot (roast whole at 180C (fan)/200C/gas 5, skins on, for 40-50 mins or until easily pierced by a knife. For this recipe don’t worry about wrapping in foil or coating in oil. When cool enough to touch, scrape/peel the skins off with your fingers or a peeler – should slip off quite easily.)
2 tablespoons creme fraiche
2 teaspoons horseradish sauce (or to taste)
2 tablespoons tahini
A small bunch of parsley – about 5 stalks – or to taste
Extra virgin olive oil – at least 5 tablespoons
1/2 medium sized clove garlic, crushed
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Black pepper

Method
Whizz the beetroot in a food processor.

Add the tahini, creme fraiche, 1 teaspoon horseradish, 3 tablespoons olive oil, half the parsley, the garlic, the lemon juice and a good amount of black pepper. Process together.

Taste – then begin playing with the flavours. You’ll probably need more olive oil to give it the right consistency, then add horseradish, parsley, tahini, lemon juice and/or pepper to suit your tastes.

Keep in the fridge and eat within 3 days.