Buying beetroot at its best means buying it with the leaves still attached. Nothing gives you a better indication of freshness than the vitality of the leaves- and you also get two vegetables for the price of one! (in fact the leaves are a much better source of vitamins than the roots).

Beetroot is closely related to silverbeet, and the green or red leaves of the mature plant can be cooked in exactly the same way- quickly tossed over high heat with butter and freshly ground black pepper is pretty good, but only if the leaves are sparkling fresh! -MB.