beets and beet greens

Roasted beets have been a longtime favorite summer dish but I am developing a love of beet greens as well. After trimming the roots from the stem I divide the stems into 2 parts: the stalks and the leaves. Cut the stalks into 2 or 3 inch long pieces and saute them in olive oil with a little chopped onion. Once they are soft, add coarsely chopped leaves. The leaves will shrink down as they wilt...pile as much as you can fit into the saute pan and turn the mixture with a pair of tongs, adding more uncooked leaves as you go. I like to add some raisins too. Soak the raisins in a mixture of a little hot water and a couple tablespoons of red wine vinegar while preparing the beets. Add this mixture to the stalks just before adding the leaves. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

If you have not roasted beets before, I wrap them in foil drizzled with a little olive oil and roast in a 450° oven. The time will vary a lot based on the size of the beets -- it will take about 30 minutes for tiny beets and about an hour for larger ones. Be sure to make separate foil packets divided by size if your beets are in a wide range of sizes. To test for doneness just insert a paring knife into one of the beets - if it slips in easily they are done. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then using a paper towel wipe the beets to remove the skins. When roasted the skin will slide right off. 

p.s. I keep a box of powder free latex gloves in the house and they come in handy if you do not want stained fingers at dinner time.