It's Always the Beets. Even in the Pesto.
A few days ago I bought some fresh beets. I had no plan for them and am not even a super-huge fan of beets, but they were just so pretty and had such a root vegetable aura of autumn about them that I assumed I would figure it out. The beets themselves turned out to be an excellent addition to some mushroom risotto. After roasting them a while, they provided a bright, sweet balance to the earthy, savory, creaminess of the risotto. But this post isn't really about the beets themselves. It's about their leaves.
Eating the leaves never even crossed my mind when I bought them, but those leaves were just too big and beautiful to ignore. I didn't even know if eating them was possible, although they looked enough like kale or collards that it seemed only reasonable. So I did a little research and decided to add them to some spinach and fresh basil that I already had and turn them into a pesto. From a solely scientific perspective, I was amazed--maybe more than I should have been, considering the leaves were attached to, you know, beets--to see that these dark green leaves turned the oil I cooked them in purple, just like magic. From a nom-nom-nom perspective, I was delighted to discover that this pesto was delicious. I spread mine on some baby carrots and fresh broccoli for mid-afternoon snacks, but it's versatile enough to be yummy on crackers or with cheese. With enough oil and a food processor, you could even turn it into a pasta sauce (I think it would be phenomenal with gnocchi). One caveat--I don't know for sure, but I think mixing the greens is a good idea, to get a flavor that blends a little better.
Beet Greens Pesto:
Cook your greens in olive oil, with some salt, pepper, and a little garlic (if you like a strong garlic flavor) until they've turned bright green and are slightly wilted. Remove from heat and transfer to a plate, gently pressing with a paper towel to remove extra oil. Once cool enough to handle, either on plate or glass cutting board (the greens may stain a wooden one), slice greens into small pieces. Transfer greens to a bowl and mix with grated parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, garlic, and a small sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes to taste. Mix with crushed walnuts and, stirring, slowly add olive oil until pesto reaches a creamy, malleable consistency. Serve or store in refrigerator as is, or transfer to food processor to blend pesto until smooth throughout. Enjoy!
