Beet Greens

As I was leaving the store I was given a simple recipe for beet greens.  The reason for the suggestion was that the bunch of beets I had just bought had a lively top of the often discarded greens.  The women at the checkout counter casually instructed me on how to prepare them: wash gently and then saute in olive oil with a bit of garlic and crushed red pepper. She informed me that I would love them.  Funny thing, because I was buying the beets for the beets.  I had no plans for the greens.  In fact, I was anticipating cutting them off and getting started on my beet project.  Her little nudge, a gentle coaxing of thought sparked a new idea. (Go figure, whenever I suggest that we use the beet greens he rolls his eyes and ignores me.)

How could we sharpen the preparation and presentation of beet greens?  I cut the greens into little rounds.  With the trimming done, we made a light brine flavored with garlic, salt and red pepper flakes and then soaked the greens for five minutes.  We removed them and then vacuum sealed the rounds while they were still damp.  The vacuum sealing infused the flavors into the greens and compressed the vegetable so that it took on a cooked appearance while remaining essentially raw.

The rounds of beet greens are full of flavor and now may be integrated into a dish at the last moment to retain their bright, crisp and clean flavors. Sometimes it takes the suggestion of a stranger for an idea to take root.