Eating Well with Farmers Market Fresh Beets and Beet Greens

Making the most of our ingredients as we are safe-at-home can create unexpected and delicious dishes.

Take beets for an example.

A whole beet, roasted with its skin on, can be a tasty side dish or cooled and sliced in salads.

If you bought your beets at a farmers market or directly from a farmer, then they most probably came with their leafy greens.

Cleaned well and sautéed, the greens and their bright red stems make a delicious side dish.

"Waste not, want not" was always a good kitchen motto, now, more than ever.

Roasted Beets

For roasting I prefer medium to large sized beets. In fact, the larger the better. Select beets that are well-shaped, without damaged areas. If possible, choose beets that have fresh-looking greens still attached.

Do not peel the beets. Keeping the skins on means they cook in their own juices, concentrating their sweetness as they roast.

Yield 1 beet: 4 servings, depending on size and preparation

Time: 60-90 minutes depending on your oven and the size of the beets

Ingredients

1 bunch beets, usually 3-5 to a bunch, beet greens removed and reserved, washed to remove all grit

1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 450F.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Place the beets on the lined baking sheet and place in oven.

After one hour, remove from the oven to test for doneness by inserting a pairing knife into the side of the beet. If the knife enters easily, the beet is done. If not, return to the oven. Check every 30 minutes until the beets are done.

Remove from oven and cool.

Peel off skin and remove stem and root end and discard.

Serve sliced or diced, either hot as a side dish or cold in salads.

Sautéed Beet Greens with Tofu and Brown Rice

Beet greens can be sautéed with a variety of ingredients, including shiitake mushrooms, onions, bean sprouts and red peppers and served as a side dish. Adding tofu and brown rice turns a side dish into an entree.

Yield: 4 servings

Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

1 bunch farmers' market fresh beets

1 yellow onion, washed, peeled, roughly chopped

1 garlic clove, washed, peeled, roughly chopped (optional)

1/4 pound mushrooms, brown, shiitake, or portabella, washed, roughly chopped

4 oz. firm tofu

2 cups cooked brown rice

2 tbs extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions


















Prepare the brown rice.

I use a Japanese rice cooker.

After washing the rice and pouring off the milky water, add 1 1/2 cups of water to each 1 cup of rice.

Turn on the rice cooker. When the cooker shuts off, fluff the rice, and put the cover back on for 10 minutes.

When you buy the beets, pick out a bunch with fresh looking leaves.

To prepare the beets, cut off the beet greens. Clean the beets and reserve to use raw or roasted in a
salad.

Soak the greens in water to remove grit. Cut the stems from the leaves. Finely chop the stems and roughly chop the leaves.

On a medium-high flame, heat a large pan with olive oil, seasoned with sea salt and pepper. 

Sauté the beet green stems with mushrooms, onions and garlic (optional) until they are lightly browned.

Add beet greens.

Stir frequently.

Taste the greens to confirm they are tender. If not, continue sautéing until they are.

Pat dry the tofu and make 1" thick slabs, then cut the slabs into 1"x1" cubes.

Add the tofu to the beet green sauté and gently toss together to coat the tofu with the sauce.

Serve with the brown rice on the side or add the brown rice to the sauté.

A Fork in the Road: Beet Greens,Tofu, and Brown Rice

I think of my cooking as healthy because I like to cook with farmers' market fresh ingredients, I don't make elaborate sauces, and I'm careful to minimize fat. But I do cook with eggs, cream, red meat, bread, and lots of pasta. My wife, Michelle, enjoys what I cook but she's looking for a bit of a change. She's decided to try a fresh vegetables and fruit, whole grains, no red meat, non-caffeine, sugar-free diet.

For me, cooking this way will require adjustments. I'll try my best to make meals that have flavor and keep to her diet. This is a little terra incognita to me and it would be nice to have some road maps. If you have any suggestions, please send them in.

Sautéed Beet Greens with Tofu and Brown Rice
Yield: 4
Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

1 bunch farmers' market fresh beets
1 yellow onion (washed, peeled, roughly chopped)
5 garlic cloves (washed, peeled, roughly chopped)
1/2 pound mushrooms, brown, shiitake, or portabella (washed, roughly chopped)
1 tablespoon sweet butter (optional)
1 pound firm tofu
2 cups cooked brown rice
Olive oil
Sea salt and pepper

Method

Prepare the brown rice first. I use a Japanese rice cooker and the proportion is 1 cup rice to 1 1/2 cups water. Turn on the rice cooker. When the cooker shuts off, fluff the rice, and put the cover back on for 10 minutes.

When you buy the beets, pick out a bunch with fresh looking leaves. To prepare the beets, cut off the beet greens. Clean the beets and reserve to use raw or roasted in a salad.

Soak the greens in water to remove grit. Cut the stems from the leaves. Finely chop the stems and roughly chop the leaves.

On a medium-high flame, heat a large pan with olive oil, seasoned with sea salt and pepper. Sauté the beet green stems with the onions and garlic until they are lightly browned, then add the greens and cook until wilted. Stir frequently. Add the mushrooms and sauté until lightly browned. Add 1 cup water to deglaze the pan, reduce the flame and simmer 15 minutes.

Taste the greens to confirm that they are tender. At this moment I would add a pat of butter but that's entirely optional.

Pat dry the tofu and make 1" thick slabs, then cut the slabs into 1"x1" cubes. The tofu needs to be heated. That can be accomplished in a number of ways. Personally I like to lightly sauté tofu to add a bit more flavor. In a frying pan, heat olive oil and lightly brown the tofu pieces. If you'd like to avoid this step, the tofu can be heated in a microwave.

Add the tofu to the beet green sauté and gently toss together to coat the tofu with the sauce. Serve with the brown rice on the side.