Whole food cooking doesn’t stop at the stem. This baby beet salad uses both the sweet bulb and the nutrient-dense leaves for a summery salad we couldn’t wait to share.
We first shared this beautiful beet salad recipe from Full Moon Suppers in 2017 and its a favorite to this day. From the utterly charming cookbook by the founder of Salt Water Farm Cooking School, learn to make this filling beet dish by heart and make throughout the seasons.
Annemarie grew up on a farm on the coast of Maine where food was central to family gatherings. At Salt Water Farm, she now teaches chefs from around the world about making the most of the seasons; not just by using what is growing at the moment, but finding delicious, creative ways to waste as little of it as possible.
Learn Annemarie and Full Moon Suppers inspire your cooking for seasons to come…
Young root vegetables with small, tender greens should be considered whole ingredients. The greens are treated differently from their roots, but they are just as edible. Clean them thoroughly and cook them just enough to wilt them. At this young stage, their flavor is earthy and sweet.
Baby Beet Salad with Beet Greens, Fried Garlic + Chèvre
Serves 8
INGREDIENTS:
a mix of small, colorful beets and their greens (about 12 small or 6 medium-size beets)
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 splash red wine vinegar
1 garlic head, cloves separated and peeled
½ cup fresh chèvre
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
sea salt to finish
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Separate the beets from their greens and wash the greens. In a large baking pan, combine the beets, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, red wine vinegar and an inch of water. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until fork-tender. Peel beets under cold water, discarding the peel and slice into wedges.
Remove root ends of garlic cloves and slice cloves very thinly. In a large cast-iron pan, slowly heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic slices and fry until they are golden but not brown. Add the beet greens and turn off the heat. The residual heat from the pan will wilt the greens.
On a platter, lay down the beet greens and the garlic and arrange the beet wedges over the top. Season to taste with sea salt. Garnish with pinches of fresh chèvre, allowing the heat from the beets to melt the cheese.
From Full Moon Suppers by Annemarie Ahearn, © 2017 by Annemarie Ahearn. Photographs by Kristin Teig. Reprinted by arrangement with Roost Books, an imprint of Shambhala Publications, Inc. Boulder, CO.
