Cavalo Nero and Meatball Soup

This recipe came from the BBC Good Food Magazine via Riverford Organics, and I have seen it blogged quite a lot recenly.  I made meatballs using minced British veal, flavoured with lemon and nutmeg, and also used Cavolo Nero, as that's what came in the Riverford box this week (and they use it in their version of the recipe).  Simple, filling elegant and quite low fat if you use lean veal (or beef, pork or chicken mince would be fine too).  Here is the Good Food version of the recipe, and I used their photo too, as I forgot!

Veal Meatballs with Creamed Beetroot and Lemon Sauce

Now, stick with me here. Firstly, people tend to be funny about veal. But, good British veal is reared humanely, and I always look for meat that has been pastured with its mother, too. Much better than allowing veal calves to be exported to Holland in crates, or worse, shot at birth (males) as being surplus to requirements. Get the good stuff and you have a mild, lean alternative to beef that makes delicious eating. This was minced veal, mixed with chopped rosemary, garlic, lemon zest and parmesan, then sauteed and eaten with beetroot sauce. Fresh baby beetroot, boiled until tender then peeled, sauteed in a little butter and then a little single cream and lemon juice added at the end. Stir the meatballs through to combine with lots of chopped parsley, and serve with pappardelle pasta - a memorable and delicious meal, vaguely Scandinavian and made a change from the usual tomato-based sauce, albeit a rather startlingly coloured dish.