The Table Was Set…
The Harvest Prepped…
And An Herbed Beet Greens And Butter Lettuce Salad Was Born!
If you’re getting a CSA or shopping the farmer’s markets, look for healthy and perky leaves on your beets for a double whammy as beet greens make fabulous salad. They have a wonderful, rich, mellow flavor, and their tender leaf makes for a nice crisp salad chew! I chopped the greens and thinly sliced one beet for a quick salad, but should experiment with the tearing method as the greens may have a better aesthetic that way.
Aesthetics aside, the flavors in this salad were quite complex and enjoyable. One of my weekend menus called for Farm Fresh Spring Rolls that were to include rice noodles, beet greens, butter lettuce, mint, basil, fennel and dill, but I ran into a bit of a materials snafu and had to alter the course. Before I discovered my missing ingredient (forgotten spring roll wraps), I made a spicy sesame ginger dressing which ended up topping the beet greens and spring roll herbs in a wonderful accident. Toasted sesame oil pairs well with the buttery nature of beet greens and the ginger-garlic-spice made for an interesting and delicious surprise flavor.
Here’s an approximate recipe for the dressing. You will want to taste and adjust especially the soy sauce. I don’t like the dressing too salty, so find that I add the aminos slowly.
Spicy Sesame Ginger Garlic Dressing:
- 1 cup toasted sesame oil
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1 Tbs. Braggs Liquid Aminos
- 2 Tbs. honey
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 inch piece ginger, minced
- 1/2 tsp. dried chile flakes
This salad was followed by a simple collard stir fry with ginger and garlic, spicy tofu and jasmine rice.
After All Was Said And Done…
Vegetarian Perspective 