Roasted Beets with Beet Greens and Goat Cheese Crostini

Do you know that you can cook the beet greens as well? For example in this recipe which uses the beets in the salad and the beet greens over the crostini. 

Roasted Beets with Beet Greens and Goat Cheese Crostini, adapted from the Big Sur Bakery Cookbook (p. 130)


For the beets and beet greens:
24 assorted baby beets, greens attached
Kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
6 tbs olive oil
1/2 small yellow onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, sliced
pinch of hot red pepper flakes
3 tbs + 1 ts red wine vinegar

For the goat cheese crostini:
4 slices sourdough or country bread, cut about 1/2 inch thick
2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs minced flat-leaf parsley
Kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 to 3 ounces soft goat cheese

For serving:
1 head frisee
2 tbs minced chives
2 tbs minced whole scallions
Kosher salt
freshly ground pepper

1. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Trim the stems off the beets. Roughly chop the greens (you want 2 cups chopped), and wash them. Set the greens aside.
3. Wash the beets, making sure not to puncture their skin. Arrange them in a singe layer in a roasting pan, season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with 2 tbs of the olive oil and about 1/2 cup water. Cover the pan with aluminium foil and roast the beets until they are fork-tender, 35 to 45 minutes, depending on their size.
4. While the beets are roasting, prepare the greens: Heat a large saute' pan over medium heat and drizzle 2 tbs of the olive oil into it. Add the onions, garlic, and red pepper flakes, and cook slowly until the onions are translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the reserved beet greens, season them with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the stems are tender. Remove from the heat, stir in the 1 ts vinegar, and transfer the greens to a dish to cool.
5. When the beets are tender, carefully remove them from the roasting pan while they're still warm and use a kitchen towel to rub off the skins. Cut the beets in half, put them in a large saute' pan, and toss them with the 3 tbs vinegar and remaining 2 tbs olive oil. Set the pan aside. (Leave the oven on.)
6. To prepare the crostini, brush both sides of each bread slice with the olive oil, sprinkle with the parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the slices on a cookie sheet, place it in the oven, and bake until lightly toasted, about 7 minutes. Remove the crostini from the oven, spread about 2 tbs of the cooked greens on each one, and top each with 1 tbs of the goat cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Keep the crostini on the cookie sheet and warm them up right before serving them by placing them in a 350F oven until the cheese is warmed but not melted (about 7 minutes).
7. Wash the frisee and snip the green tips off the leaves, leaving behind only the white and yellow part of the head. Cut the core off and tear the remaining leaves into medium pieces. Put the frisee in a salad bowl and reserve.
8. Reheat the beets over medium high heat until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Add the warm beets to the frisee, sprinkle with chives and scallions, and toss. Season the salad with salt and pepper to taste, and transfer it to a serving platter. Remove the crostini from the oven and arrange them around the beets. Serve immediately.

NB: 1) I usually bake the beets the day before to shorten the time of preparation. 2) You can also use the greens - prepared as described above - on top of pizza. 3) Use the salad you prefer(here:baby greens)