Spring has slowly rolled into summer and what i love best about summer is what i find in my csa box. I can hardly believe how delicious fresh veggies can be. When I eat a deeply colored veggie, I know that the vitamins, nutrients and the terroir of this region are melding with my body. I can honestly say that it is a spiritual thing for me; that I am indeed intertwined on a molecular level with this land. Anyway, I digress... The veggie choice expands beyond the appealing fresh greens and the first root veggies start to appear. The beet is a nutritional powerhouse and is especially delicious when grown on an organic hillside with deep rich earth and tended so intentionally and lovingly by the Meadowlarks! Today my box included what Jen called an "early wonder tall top"; a luscious magenta fuchsia beet with firm leathery red ribbed tops. Yum.
The magenta veins are rich in vitamins. The greens are a great source of vitamin C, potassium and manganese. Beets also contain the B vitamin folate.
Jen from Meadowlark always includes a recipe with her newsletter that comes in the box. My take on her recipe highlights the chewy goodness of a nicely steamed beet top. This dish is earthy and sweet- not a sugar sweet, but veggie roasted sweet- my favorite. It's simple too. And so on a busy weekday, when you think you don't have time for cooking a veggie, this took all of 20 minutes with maybe 5 minutes of prep time. And what a nourishing force indeed! You'll need 4-6 beets, a shallot, butter, some white wine or lemon juice and some goat cheese. Clean and chop the beets and greens with the veins! Saute the beets, add the greens with the wine and top with goat chese and viola!
The rosey red of the beets is just rich. There must be a connection between the beet and the color of our blood. Maybe our blood is made from beets? Hmm. Well, find a heavy skillet for sauteing your beets and get busy.
Here's the recipe
French Peasant Beets
4-6 Beets with greens
3 Tablespoons of Butter
1 Shallot, minced
2 Tablespoons of Madiera wine or white wine or lemon juice
1/4 lb. of good goat cheese
Cracked black pepper and Salt to taste
Scrub and vegetable peel the beets. Remove the greens and chop them coarsely, stems and all. Set the greens aside in a large prep bowl. Slice the beets into 1/4 inch rounds. In a large saute pan, melt the butter and saute the shallot. Add the beet rounds to the shallots. Crack some black pepper over the beets along with a pinch of salt. Reduce the heat and saute beets turning over to insure even cooking. After 15 minutes when the beets are beginning to glaze and become tender, add the greens. Saute for 5 minutes and add the wine/lemon. Cover the pan and cook until the greens are wilted, adding water if necessary. Allow the liquid to be mostly absorbed into the greens and adjust the seasonings. Scoop greens and beets into a shallow bowl and garnish with crusty bread. One more round of cracked pepper and you are golden. Take it to the table for a scrumptious side!