one-pan balsamic beets & greens
a no-waste, whole vegetable kind of recipe
Remember back in March when an incredibly rude groundhog gobbled up tons of our newly planted spring veggies? Well, I have an update.
Thankfully (*knock on wood*) the groundhog hasn’t returned to the scene of the crime, and I was able to secure new broccoli seedlings to replace what was lost (the groundhog got the majority of the broccoli, but not *all* of it). So over the past month, I’ve been watching as the broccoli has grown from tiny seedlings to big, bodacious plants.
And last week, I realized something. Turns out, the original broccoli that I planted was the wrong variety (I’m guessing the nursery I worked with sent me the wrong ones). So instead of big broccoli crowns, the surviving original broccoli plants were sprouting a ton of little broccolini shoots – don’t get me wrong, I love broccolini, but it wasn’t what I had intended. But wouldn’t you know, thanks to that rude groundhog, all the new replacement broccoli seedlings that we planted *are* the correct variety, and they’re all producing big, beautiful crowns that my CSA members are loving.
This is a long and winding way to say that this whole groundhog / broccoli debacle reminded me that sometimes, when shitty things happen and you think the sky is falling, the universe can come around and surprise you, and sometimes that terrible thing can actually work out in your favor. There goes Mother Nature again, teaching me life lessons I didn’t know I needed.
(Now, to be clear, I’m not saying that I think “everything happens for a reason”. I actually don’t believe that everything happens for a reason. I believe we each make daily decisions and react to life events in ways that set us on a certain course, and as humans we’re wired to make the best of the things that life throws our way. And I also believe that sometimes, shitty things happen and there is no silver lining, no gift from the universe at the end of the tunnel, no surprise broccoli. And that’s okay too.)
Right, most of you are probably just here for a beet recipe, so I’ll wrap it up. But if any of you are going through a hard thing right now, don’t give up the ship, and hopefully you can look back eventually and see that this season of life gave you some nuggets of goodness that you never expected. (Or not! And that’s okay too).
For folks who like to see what we put in our CSA boxes – Tuesday marked Week 6 of our Spring CSA, so only 2 more weeks left in this spring session! (Then we take one week “off” at the end of May, and we’re back starting the first week of June for a 10-week Summer CSA session). Here’s a peak at what our regular share members received in their boxes this week – big bags of looseleaf lettuce and baby kale, beets, mini napa cabbage, scallions, and broccoli:
Need some culinary inspiration for the weekend? Here’s my weekly round up of seasonal recipes from around Substack to help you eat like a farmer:
Keep reading for today’s recipe for One-Pan Balsamic Beets & Greens, available for paid subscribers.
If you want to eat like a farmer, then we need to talk about getting creative with eating every part of your vegetables. For example – I’ll bet that when most of us think about cooking beets, we’re thinking about those sweet, earthy, gem-colored beet roots. But Y’ALL. We gotta stop snoozing on those gorgeous beet greens!
Nerdy/fun veggie fact – beets are in the same family as swiss chard (Chenopodiaceae), and beet greens are basically the same thing as swiss chard. So pretty please, the next time you buy a beautiful bunch of beets, don’t toss the greens! And if you’re not sure what to do with them, make this.
Today’s recipe for one-pan balsamic beets & greens is a simple, flavorful, nutrient-packed method for cooking beet roots AND their greens in one pan, in under 45 minutes. Here’s the gist – first the beet roots steam in a covered pan, then you’ll remove the lid to continue cooking the beets and allowing the liquid to evaporate down to a yummy balsamic glaze, and you’ll finish by adding the chopped beet greens, tossing until they’re wilted and coated in all the beet-y balsamic goodness. Top it all off with some fresh herbs and pistachios (and maybe some goat cheese if you’re feeling frisky) and you’re in business.
This recipe isn’t fancy (and tbh it’s not particularly photogenic), but it IS incredibly straightforward and nourishing and delicious, and after you make it once, you’ll never toss your beet greens again. ;)
Keep reading for the full recipe (and a handy 1-page PDF for easy printing).
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One-Pan Balsamic Beets & Greens
Serves 2-4