Sluttishly Vegetarian: Beetroot & Feta Fritters

Beetroot is in season! Hurrah! Right, hands up if for some reason you have a deep, abiding suspicion of this glorious fuchsia vegetable? I'll admit, I was once one of you. But then I tried beetroot combined with orange and feta and I SAW THE LIGHT.

I'm calling these things 'fritters' to appeal to my sense of daintiness, but really, they're practically beetroot BURGERS. They can stand up for themselves in a sea of meat, they can stride above the salad accompaniments, take a good dollop of relish and still come out fighting. All this with the virtue that comes from knowing that they are also suitable for gluten free and low lactose diets - feta made from goat's or sheep's milk doesn't usually cause issues for those with lactose intolerance, it has a much lower lactose content. If you're serving them up for someone with a severe allergy, make sure you double check what they can and can't eat.

Orange zest complements the deep, earthy flavours, whilst a good smattering of salty feta keeps things interesting. Now, time to give that grater a workout...

Beetroot & Feta Fritters (Makes 12)
You will need:

• 2 large carrots, peeled
• 2 raw beetroots, peeled
• 3 spring onions
• 200g feta cheese (check the back to make sure it's not produced using cow's milk)
• zest of 1 orange
• 2 medium free-range eggs
• 3 heaped tbsp gram flour (chickpea flour)
• Sea salt
• Black pepper
• Olive oil

Make it!

1. Coarsely grate the carrots and the beetroot, placing together in a large bowl. 
2. Finely chop the spring onions and add to the mixture. 
3. Dice or crumble the feta into the mix, along with the zest of the orange and stir lightly to combine.
4. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, then add to the mixture along with the gram flour, a good pinch of salt and lots of fresh black pepper. 
5. Still well to combine. If it's looking too wet, add a little more flour. 
6. Time to get messy: shape and squeeze the mixture into 12 equal size balls and set aside on a floured surface.
7. Pour a glug of olive oil into a large frying pan and set over a medium heat. 
8. Fry for 3-4 minutes, flattening with a spatula and turning twice whilst cooking, until the edges are crisp and the surface browned. 
9. Season and serve immediately with salad and more feta, relish, in place of felafel or even, I've been informed, on top of another burger...