Beetroot in the Trug (gouache style)

Beetroot is a form of Beta vulgaris, the same species as chard and sugar beet, and it's descended from sea beet, a wild plant that still grows on British coasts. What looks like one knobbly seed is usually a cluster of several, so a single sowing often produces a little clump of seedlings. Alongside the familiar deep red, there are golden, white and pink-and-white striped varieties, and the young leaves are good to eat too.

Sow beetroot direct from April to July, a short row every few weeks for a steady supply. Bolt-resistant varieties are best for the earliest sowings. Thin the seedlings so the roots have room, and keep the soil moist, since dry spells can make them woody. You can pull them from golf-ball size for salads. Twist the leaves off, don't cut them, so the roots don't bleed. Maincrop beetroot lifted in autumn stores well in boxes of sand somewhere cool and frost-free.

This picture shows a wooden trug of freshly pulled beetroot resting on a potting bench. It's the moment between plot and kitchen, when the roots are just out of the ground. The trug is the traditional way to carry a harvest, and setting it on the bench keeps the focus on the everyday rhythm of growing your own.