A Harvest-Week Curry Stew: Using Up the Last veggies this week
Some of the best dishes come from what’s left over — the odds and ends still sitting in the crate at the end of a harvest week. This one started with two roots: striped Chioggia beetroot and deep red beetroot, cut into cubes and roasted until soft and slightly caramelized at the edges.
The base
While the beetroot was roasted in the oven the onion, garlic, and fresh ginger went into a generous glug of oil and were stirred for five to seven minutes, until soft and fragrant. Only then did the masala curry spices go in — enough to really bloom in the hot oil and perfume the kitchen.
Bringing it together
The lentils, cooked separately, were stirred into the onion mixture once ready. The roasted beetroot and fresh tomatoes followed, along with a splash of vegetable stock, and the pan was left to simmer for a few minutes so the tomatoes could soften and the flavors settle in. Only at the end did the borlotti beans go in, simmering for a few more minutes until everything was heated through and ready to eat.
The result: a warming, earthy, spice-forward stew built almost entirely from what the harvest had left behind. Nothing wasted, everything welcome.
In short
Roast in cubes: Chioggia beetroot, red beetroot
Sauté: onion, garlic, ginger, 5–7 minutes, plenty of oil
Stir in: masala curry spices
Add: cooked lentils, then roasted beetroot and fresh tomatoes, plus vegetable stock — simmer a few minutes
Finish: borlotti beans, simmer a few more minutes, ready to eat
A simple reminder that “leftover harvest” doesn’t mean an afterthought — sometimes it’s the best dish of the week.
