Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Spicy Beet Tops

This is the first week of the Food Network Chef's Cooking Challenge, hosted by Sarah at I Blame My Mother. The chef featured this week is Aaron McCargo Jr. After searching his recipes for one that suited us, I found this one, for spicy swiss chard. I didn't grow swiss chard this year, but I did grow beets, and I use the tops in many dishes in place of spinach and/or swiss chard. I decided to follow his directions but replace the swiss chard with beet tops. We really loved this recipe, perhaps even better than my other favourite way to fix beet tops. I will definitely be doing this again (but not this year, because this was the last of the beet tops).

Spicy Beet Tops (OR Swiss Chard) - from Aaron McCargo Jr
2 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch of red pepper flakes (I really used a pinch, next time I might use a bit bigger of a pinch - they weren't very spicy)
1 bunch beet tops, stems removed, sliced into thin strips
Splash of white wine
1 T sugar
Salt

1. Place oil, red pepper flakes and garlic in a large frying pan and cook over high heat until the garlic until golden brown.


2. Add chard and toss quickly.

3. Stir in a splash of white wine. Cook and toss until liquid evaporates and chard is wilted.

4. Add the sugar, season with salt and serve.

Makes 2 servings.

Come back next week and see which recipe I choose from Aida Mollenkamp.

7 comments:

  1. Beautiful! We love swiss chard in our house, so I will be trying this.
    So tell me, how do you eat your beets? Were considering growing them this year, but I've never eaten anything but pickled beets.

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  2. I love beets, but haven't ever tried the beet TOPS! If I see them at my produce farm, I will for sure give these a try.

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  3. I don't think I've ever eaten beet tops, I need to give them a try!

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  4. you and your beet tops ;-) I bet these are tasty!

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  5. Yum! This looks great. I make some fab sauteed spinach that is kind of like this...only even simpler. I saute a ton of fresh minced garlic in olive oil, and then just throw in the spinach along with some golden raisin. I stir the spinach a few times until it is just wilted, then serve right away. It make the yummiest side to...well, pretty much anything!

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  6. Nice adaptation! I have never grown beets so had no idea you could eat their greens. I do have chard planted this fall. We'll see how that turns out.

    Thank you for participating in FNCCC this week! I'm already learning new things :)

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  7. I have never tied beet tops. I might try the chard. I love it, but need to get the other one in the house to stop turning up his nose!

    BTW, I am getting a huge load of strawberries tomorrow and am going to try and can them. Thanks for your advice and the encouraging posts!

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