I've Got the Beet (Greens)

Severo brought home FIVE pounds of beet greens from his day job (produce clerk at a local independent market).
FIVE POUNDS!

They almost filled a brown bag.

 What did I do with them?

The Google gave me this recipe from the NY Times: Sauteed Beet Greens with Garlic and Olive Oil

One pound of greens, before and after blanching

I pretty much followed the recipe, so click on the link to get it.
Blanching instructions are in the second recipe below.

Blanching / draining directly over the stock pot to capture all the nutritious beet water.
(I freeze for later to use as veggie stock for beans and soups).

Sauteeing: before / after

 Deployed as a spinach substitute for Eggs Florentine

The Hollandaise and Bacon totally erased any healthy aspects of this breakfast.
It was DELICIOUS!

The blanched beet greens DO have a very spinachy flavor. I next thought of Creamed Spinach.
I was surprised to discover nary a recipe in my cookbook collection. Back to The Google:
Morton's Steakhouse Creamed Spinach (Copycat) by Dinner then Dessert

I made some minor caloric reductions and reconfigured the amounts for four servings (vs eight).

Creamed Greens
serves 4
221 calories per serving

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound fresh greens, blanched 
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 
• 1/2 medium yellow onion minced 
• 3 cloves garlic minced 
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg [didn't use] 
• 2 TB all-purpose flour 1 3/4 cups half-and-half 
• 2 TB grated Parmesan cheese 

INSTRUCTIONS
Blanching:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. 
• Add the greens and cook just until wilted, about 2 minutes. 
• Drain in a strainer or colander. 
• Chop the blob of greens into a 3/4 inch widths. 

Making the creamy part:

• In a large skillet melt the butter with the garlic and onions. 
• Cook on medium low for 8-10 minutes or until the onions are translucent. 
• Add in the nutmeg. [didn't] 
• Add in the flour and mix with a wooden spoon over low and cook for 2-3 minutes until the aroma is a bit nutty. 
• Add the half an half and cook until boiling. 
• Low boil for 6-8 minutes or until the mixture has thickened. 
• Add in the greens and the Parmesan cheese and stir to combine.

Enjoy!

I still have three pounds to deal with. Thinking of blanching and freezing it all.

Jammin' with Rose Jam

A batch of Rose Petal Jam from a never-before-used bush.

I've had it for a while. All the rain is making it very happy. 

Got three roses from it last week -- enough for a batch of jam. 

The petals. 

The jam.

Here's the recipe, super easy AND fast:

Rose Petal Jam (Uncooked)

Yield: about 3.5 cups 

Ingredients:
1 c fresh rose petals (must never have been sprayed with any chemicals)
3/4 c water
juice of one lemon (no substitutes)
2 1/2 c cane sugar
1 pouch Certo pectin

Make:
In blender -- puree petals, water + lemon (be sure to put lid on blender)
Slowly add sugar, stirring as you add
Add pectin, blend for about 1 minute
Pour into clean jars quickly (it sets up fast)
Let set for 6 hours
Refrigerate/Freeze

Recipe from:  recipegal.com (url no longer active) 

Need step-by-step images? Click here.

Linking up with

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Beefy Chili

Beefy Chili

ingredients

1 med onion, chopped

2-4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tb olive oil

1 lb ground beef

1.5 tb chili powder

0.5 tb ground cumin

1-2 bay leaves

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

28oz can of Rotel or tomato sauce

2c cooked beans

directions

• In a heavy saucepan, saute onions and garlic in oil until soft
• Add beef, cook until beef is browned throughout, breaking it up with a fork
• Add spices and Rotel.
• Bring to a low boil for 30 min, stirring occasionally 
• Add beans, simmer 15 min

Enjoy!

This is adapted from Blue Plate Specials & Blue Ribbon Chefs by Jane and Michael Stern
They got the recipe from Porubsky's Grocery in Topeka, KS.