Pickled Golden Beets with Black Cumin and Nigella Seeds

I used a recipe in Simply Nigella : Feel Good Food to pickle golden beets. I love Nigella's philosophy on food - and her use of black cumin (nigella) seeds. I took the book out of the library, but might have to buy it! Black mustard, black cumin and black sesame seeds always add interest to food.

Nigella wrote in How to Eat, "What I hate is the new-age voodoo about eating, the notion that foods are either harmful or healing, that a good diet makes a good person and that that person is necessarily lean, limber, toned and fit... such a view seems to me in danger of fusing Nazism ... and Puritanism ..."

These are quick pickled beets and I adapted the recipe a bit with more spice, although no heat.

Cut three large golden beets from their roots and tops and peel. Cut them into matchsticks, no more than 1/4" thickness on any side. Place them in a bowl that can handle hot liquid.

Measure and place 1 cup vinegar (I used a combination of white balsamic, peach balsamic and white); 1 cup water; and 4 T. ginger syrup (I used a ginger cocktail syrup).

Add 3 tsp. sea salt flakes; 2 large bay leaves; 1 tsp. nigella seeds and 2 tsp. black mustard seeds. Add also a few green cardamom pods and cinnamon sticks.

Bring to a gentle boil and pour over the beets, cool and refrigerate. Keeps for up to a month.

I'm planning on serving over fresh green with sliced peaches and goat cheese.