I kept running across two separate ideas. The first is to roast the beet itself and the second was to trim the greens and sautee them with garlic and cooked pasta and sprinkle with Parmesan. I knew I wanted to roast the beet but I was hoping for a salad idea for the greens. So I gathered up a couple of ideas and this is what I came up with.
A few notes:
I read somewhere that beets greens are naturally salty so be careful about adding salt to your cooking greens.
The larger leaves are tough and chewy. That doesn't mean you shouldn't use them. Just be aware that they aren't like spinach.
If you use too much olive oil while sauteing your greens they will leave a yucky film in your mouth. This always happens to me when I go to PF Chang's and order the Stir-Fried Spinach and Garlic. Great dish. Yucky film.
The greens will cook down A LOT. Don't worry that your pan is too small.
I read that you can roast the beets without peeling them and the peel will slip off later but that if you peel them first the outside will get nicely caramelized.
Roasted Golden Beets with Beet Greens and Goat Cheese
1 bunch of beets with the greens attached (I used organic golden)
olive oil
Peel and scrub your beets. Put them in a small baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Bake on 350 for 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours (depending on the size of the beets) turning them occasionally so they will not burn on the bottoms. My small one cooked in about 45 minutes. My larger on took the whole 1.5 hours. In all I had 4 beets of varying sizes.
While the beets are roasting, wash your greens in cold water and trim the woodier sections of stem. Fill a sink with cold water and put them in to soak for a while. All the sand and dirt will fall to the bottom and your greens will stay on top.
Also while your beets are roasting, collect the remaining ingredients.
olive oil
1 garlic clove, sliced thin
1/4 of a small onion, sliced thin
a dash of vinegar
salt
fresh ground pepper
a small handful of walnuts or pine nuts
lemon juice
crumbled goat cheese
two sliced beets
After your beets are cooked, heat a sautee pan with a tiny, tiny, tiny bit of olive oil. Add your garlic and onions. Let them sizzle 10 seconds and add the greens. Use tongs to stir the greens around. When the leaves are nice and wilted add dash of vinegar and lemon juice. Stir that around with your tongs and add the walnuts just to get them heated a bit and mixed into the dish. Add in the sliced beets.
Put on a plate and sprinkle with a little goat cheese. Enjoy!
Oh my! I just had a thought! What if next time I used candied walnuts and a tiny bit of preserved lemon peel instead of the lemon juice? Or what about adding in figs and plain walnuts? So many options! I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship...
