Le BEET goes on…

Wilted Beet Greens
Tossed with Garlic, Olive Oil, Red Wine Vinegar
Diced Thyme-Scented Roasted Red Beets, Whole-Grain Flaxseed Croutons, Roquefort
Beetroot Tails and Roasted Thyme Garnish

For a few days, my kitchen was overrun with beets – large and small organic red beets and all their greens, beet juice, beet syrup, baby candy stripe, and baby golden. Most went into the Golden Beet Salad and Candy Stripe Fettuccine, some were pickled. A few of the greens went into the charming beet & chervil centerpiece, and the remainder made this delightful wilted beet greens side dish. Not wanting to waste any part of the beet, I roasted the beetroot tails along with the beets and used them for a naturalistic garnish along with thyme sticks from the pan. These tails are edible too, they taste like beet jerky!

Reserve the greens and slice the tails from the beetroot.
Place beets and tails in a baking dish and season with olive oil, salt & pepper.
Add several sprigs of fresh thyme.
Roast, covered, at 400° until soft.
Let cool, peel, cut beets into a medium dice.
If necessary, continue to cook the tails until they resemble sticks.

Cut day-old flaxseed whole-grain ciabatta into large dice. Toss with olive oil.
Bake at 400° until crisp and toasty, about 10 minutes.

 Sauté chopped beet greens in olive oil with shaved garlic,
using a tongs to continuously toss the mixture until the greens wilt.
Add a splash of red wine vinegar, salt & pepper.

Add crispy flaxseed croutons and thyme-scented diced red beets to the greens.
Dot with creamy roquefort.

 The Beetscape
Lean the beetroot tails against themselves in a tepee formation
along with the roasted thyme springs.