Local beets be ’bout gone, but big ruby beauties beckoned this past Saturday, all coyly coiffed with scarlet-striped greens atop scarlet stalks. Who would dream of throwing away those leafy lagniappes? I save the edible greens from most of my produce: all the root veggies plus kohlrabi, and leek tops go straight into the freezer to await the stockpot. Carrot tops I utilize the least, but I try to get to them as well.
Easy for creamin’, beet greens quickly cook up tenderly toothsome without disintegrating. For my last batch I wilted the rinsed leaves in hot olive oil (Central Market’s organic brand offers a great value or try Texas Olive Ranch for local), added a splash of organic cream (Organic Valley’s my top choice) and a small chunk of organic cream cheese (CM’s own brand is usually cheapest). Seasoned with a dash of garam masala and salt to taste, these greens didn’t even need a squeeze of fresh lemon for brightening at the table, but it’s up to you!
You know, I’ve gotten to the point where I just throw everything green into a saute pan with some olive oil, crushed garlic, and a little salt and let nature take its course. A couple of days ago I did this with beet greens that I didn’t have enough time to chop up, and accidentally left them on for too long without enough liquid, covered with a silicone lid. Surprise! Slightly crunchy, deeply flavored beet leaves! (Who knew?)
Love the recipes! Keep ’em comin!
That sounds tasty! I’ll have to try your method!
Holy smokes! That looks awesome!
Actually, everything on your blog looks awesome! Great work and thanks for sharing!
Thanks! Working on more.