DISH: Pink Greens; Arugula and Beet Salad
MAIN INGREDIENTS: Beets and their Greens
I don’t know why, but I always seem to over-estimate how many beets I will need for any given meal that features them. There was certainly no exception when it came to our latest catering gig—I roasted nearly double the number of beets I would need for my relish, and still came away from the baby shower with leftovers of that to add to the beets still sitting in my fridge. Despite the fact that cooking these pink veggies en masse transforms my small kitchen into a bloody crime scene, they are a wonderful accent to any meal, and I never tire of having random zip lock bags of roasted beets stuffed in the corners of my fridge.
After the shower, I not only had the whole beets and relish at my disposal but three bunches of beet greens as well. Tired by my usual garlic and olive oil sauté, I remembered reading an interesting recipe for Beet Greens on Food52 for their Best Way to Cook Greens Contest and decided to give it a try. The “Pink Greens” turned out so well, I ate the entire bowl. Luckily I still had my relish for the next day’s fix of pink & green.
From my kitchen, with just a touch of pink, to yours,
Phoebe, THE QUARTER-LIFE COOK
Pink Greens
Makes 2 servings
Marissa Grace’s original recipe called for sherry vinegar. For some reason, this isn’t one of my staple pantry vinegars that I usually have on hand. I substituted just a tablespoon of white vinegar, and rounded out the flavor combination with some lemon juice.
Ingredients
1 bunch beet greens (from 8-10 beets), roughly chopped, most of the stalk removed
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flake
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon white vinegar
½ lemon juiced
Coat a large sauté pan or Dutch oven with olive oil and sauté the garlic, shallot and red pepper until slightly browned. Add the sugar and salt and stir until just combined. Add the beet greens to the pan, pour the water on and immediately cover.
Do not remove the lid for a few minutes to allow the greens to wilt. Once they have cooked down, remove the lid. Cook for a few more minutes allowing the water to evaporate.
Just before removing pour the vinegar and lemon juice over the greens. Cook for a minute longer, taste for seasoning, and serve.
Arugula and Beet Salad
Makes 2 servings
Ingredients
4oz baby arugula
1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
1 tbsp minced pickled shallot (recipe here)
1 roasted beet, minced (recipe for roasted beets)
In a small bowl, mix together the dill, beet and shallot. Season with salt, add a tablespoon of pickling liquid, and drizzle in a tablespoon or two of olive oil.
Toss the pink mixture together with the arugula, and serve. For a more substantial salad, add a Dill Turkey Burger to the bed of greens.
