Yes, beets are a Fall vegetable too! We have one early crop that is ready in spring, and another that gets pulled mid – late fall, and I LOVE them! I think I’m going to have to start canning beets this year so I can eat them whenever I want. They are so good and super good for you. We usually bake them and eat with just a bit of salt and pepper, or dress them up in some sort of delicious salad.
You can toss the greens, but many times I’ll chop them up and saute them with some spinach or swiss chard, and then put the cooked beets on top with goat cheese, chopped nuts and a drizzle of balsamic glaze- perfection.
Here is one version of this warm and wonderful side (add some rotisserie chicken and make it the meal).
Some quick notes about beets- use a plastic cutting board (the red ones can stain wood). Also, and sorry if this is a little crass, but red beets can come out of your body in similar bright red color. So if your/your kids’ urine is a bit pink the next day, don’t be alarmed!!! Alright, now that that’s out of the way….. enjoy the recipe!
Roasted Beets with Beet Greens and Herb Goat Cheese Crostini
Prep- 15 minutes; Cook- 45 mins; Total- 1 hr
Ingredients:
- 4 golden beets, with greens attached
- 4 red beets, with greens attached
- 4-6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 bag spinach (8oz) or 1 bunch swiss chard
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
- balsamic glaze*
- 1 baguette sourdough bread
- 3 ounces herb goat cheese
Instructions:
Beets and salad:
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with foil. Spray it with a non-stick spray.
- Cut the greens off of the beetroots and set aside. Peel the beets with a vegetable peeler and cut into 1 inch pieces. Place the beets on the prepared baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper and toss a bit. Roast the beets for 40-45 minutes or until fork tender.
- While the beets are roasting, prepare the greens. Cut the stems off and loosely chop the greens.
- Approx 10 minutes before beets are done in the oven: saute beet greens and spinach or chopped swiss chard in a large pan with 2-3 tbsp olive oil, over medium heat. Cook 5-6 minutes or until tender. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper. Transfer the greens to a serving platter.
- Once the beets are done, layer on top of the greens. Sprinkle on crumbled goat cheese and chopped pecans or walnuts. Drizzle with balsamic glaze.
Crostini:
- Cut sourdough baguette into 1/2 inch slices. Place on baking sheet. Brush each slice with a bit of olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and cracked pepper. Bake at 375 for 5-8 minutes.
- Spread the goat cheese on each slice crostini. Place them along side the beets and greens.
*Balsamic Glaze- you can make your own balsamic glaze by simmering balsamic vinegar over medium/low heat until it becomes thicker and more like a syrup. I just buy a little bottle from the grocery store to keep in the fridge (should be near balsamic vinegar).
Notes- Please feel free to modify ingredient amounts. This is a guideline, so if you like goat cheese- add more goat cheese, if you love pecans- add more chopped pecans, etc. Make it your own!
Enjoy!
