Beet This!

I have restarted my CSA - every two weeks I receive the "petite" box for $18. The last box contained a beautiful bunch of baby beets which I peeled and roasted together with carrots, a rutabaga, potatoes, a sweet potato and brussels sprouts. Oh yes.... very yummy, and very pretty too. I've blogged about roasted veggies before, so you know what to do. However, this left me with a bunch of gorgeous beet greens. Last night, I finally decided to saute them and eat them with a pita. Man oh man, how delish! I didn't take a photo, mostly because I couldn't wait to eat! The little pop of sweet date is delicious when matched with the slight tartness of the lemon juice. Use bread to sop up all the juices!

Sauteed Greens
1/2 large onion, sliced into julienne type strips
2 garlic cloves
1 bunch greens (beet greens this time), carefully washed, but not dried - you want the water clinging to the leaves
1 tsp Herbes de Provence
salt and pepper to taste
2 dates, minced
Olive oil for sauteeing
juice of half a lemon
Pita

Sautee the onion and garlic in the olive oil for a few minutes, till wilted. Season with salt, pepper and herbes. Chop the greens into strips and add to the pan, stirring while sauteeing - they will wilt quickly. Once wilted, add the minced dates and continue to saute until the greens are cooked to your liking. Drizzle juice of half a lemon over all and use pieces of pita bread as a scoop to eat.

After I had eaten it all, I thought how delicious this would have been with the baby beets roasted and cubed, and dressed with lots of fresh dill. Maybe I'll buy a bunch of turnips to cook this way with the turnip greens and try it out...

This is a very southern Italian way of eating greens. Sicily, in particular, has a number of greens dishes which include raisins and pine nuts.

Tomorrow - bubble and squeak, I think!