Was anyone else excited to see beets in our box this week? I’ve missed beets this year and have been hoping we’d see a few before the weather turned too hot. I found the recipe below in the Washington Post – Crispy Smashed Beets with Garlic, Scallions, and Chile. Since I’ve become a big fan of roasting potatoes this way (surely potatoes will be in our boxes soon) and wanted to try the idea with beets. It’s an adaption of a recipe in Gregory Gourdet’s cookbook, “Everyone’s Table” (Harper Wave, 2021). The box has beets, garlic and green onions. All you need is the chile pepper – and that, you can skip and use red pepper flakes instead. Our bunches of beets are big smaller than 2 pounds, but that’s ok. Just cut the recipe down.
I am also excited to see collards this week. If you don’t use your beet greens in the crispy beets recipe, how about adding them to the collards and making these Braised Greens Pancakes from Aluma Farm. Do you know Aluma Farm on the Westside Beltline? They put out a weekly e-blast with information about what’s available at their farmstand and occasionally provide recipes, like this one they adapted from Smitten Kitchen. It’s a valuable recipe because you can use any greens you have on hand. They cook the pancakes in a bit of oil. That’s delicious, but not necessary. I’ve made these on the griddle with just a brushing of oil or nonstick cooking spray to keep the pancakes from sticking. Served with a lemon-yogurt mixture, the result is a bit like spanakopita but without the fiddly rolling of things in phyllo. Definitely a win.
And I especially welcomed the news that there’s lots of garlic in our future. Beautiful huge head of garlic this week and more to come! Would you believe I just used the last of last year’s garlic about two weeks ago? It was a little past its prime, but still delicious and I am excited to have a fresh supply on its way.
Crispy Smashed Beets With Garlic, Scallions and Chile
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees.
2 pounds small to medium beets (with or without their greens)
12 cloves garlic
2 moderately spicy red chiles, such as Fresnos, stemmed and cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 tablespoon plus 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup water
6 scallions, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup (2 ounces) roasted unsalted cashews, chopped
Flaky sea salt, for finishing (optional)
If the beets have their greens, cut off the greens from the roots. Trim any dark spots from the top of the beets, trim off their tails, and scrub them well, but do not peel them. (The peel is what gets crispiest in the pan.)
In a Dutch oven or deep skillet with a lid, combine the beet roots with the garlic, chiles, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the sea salt and toss to coat. Pour in the water, cover, and roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the beets are very tender; a sharp knife or metal skewer should go in with barely any pressure.
While the beets are roasting, wash and dry the leaves and stems (if using), stack them, roll them up like a cigar and thinly slice.
Set out a stain-resistant cutting board, or line one with parchment paper. When the beets are tender, using a slotted spoon, transfer them to the board, and reserve the garlic and chiles. Let the beets cool until you can handle them but they’re still warm, 5 to 10 minutes. Using a small plate, gently crush the beets, one by one, to a relatively even thickness of 1/2 to 3/4 inch. Try to keep them mostly in one piece.
In a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat, heat the remaining 1/3 cup olive oil until it shimmers. Working in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding, cook the beets until charred and crisp at the edges, about 3 minutes per side. (It’s okay if they fall apart a bit.) As they’re done, use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a platter, leaving the oil behind. Pour off all but a slick of oil in the skillet.
When all the beets are ready, add the scallions and beets greens (if using) to the pan and cook, stirring, just until fragrant and the greens are wilted, about 1 minute. Scatter the mixture over the beets, along with the cashews and the reserved roasted garlic and chile slices, sprinkle with flaky salt and serve warm.
Braising Greens Pancakes
2 cups milk (whole milk is used in the original recipe, but can be replaced with non-dairy milk)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 small bunch green onions, tops removed, chopped
1 shallot, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, split, germ removed, and coarsely chopped
Leaves from 10 parsley sprigs
5 large or 10 small Swiss chard, kale or collard leaves, or 1/2 bag of braising mix, tough stems removed, and coarsely chopped
About 1/2 cup (120 ml) grapeseed, peanut, vegetable, or olive oil
If you’d like to keep your finished pancakes warm while you cook them: Heat oven to 250 degrees F and line a baking sheet with foil.
Make the batter: Put everything except the greens and oil in a blender or food processor and whirl until the batter is smooth. Scrape down sides. Add greens and pulse until they’re chopped to your desired consistency.
Cook the pancakes: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and pour in a good puddle (1/4-inch deep) of oil. Once oil is hot enough that a droplet of batter hisses and sputters, spoon about 3 tablespoons batter in per pancake. It will spread quickly. Cook until browned underneath and (the edges will scallop, adorably), then flip, cooking on the other side until browned again. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, and then, if you’d like to keep them warm, to the foil-lined tray in the oven.
Repeat with remaining batter. Serve with lemony yogurt (plain yogurt, lemon juice, salt to taste) or another sauce of your choice.