Sautéed Beets & Greens with Feta

For weeks and weeks, I’ve had beets and other greens coming out my garden ears.  We’ve eaten more greens then I can remember all sorts of ways.  The other night, Greek food was sounding flavorsome so the greens turned Greek.  Quick and simple, and perfect for a light summer dinner with a chilled glass of dry rosé.

What you need:

Beets and their greens (swiss chard is nice to throw in to if you’ve got it)

A small onion

3 large garlic cloves

Fresh oregano, chopped (a heaping tablespoon)

Two sprigs of thyme

A lemon

Olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Crumbled feta cheese (¼ cup)

Kalamata olives to eat while you cook

Method:

Preheat your oven to 375F.

Cut the greens and stems from your beets.  For two people, I’d use 4 to 6, smaller sized beets and beet greens from 6 to 8 beets.  Wash the beets and wrap in foil.  Place on a sheet pan and roast about 20 minutes, or until soft when pierced with a knife.

While the beets roast, wash the greens.  Cut the stems into small pieces, a ¼-inch or so, and put into a bowl.  Cut the greens into ½-inch wide strips and put in another bowl.  Set both aside.

Chop the onion into small pieces (small dice).  You can also use any of the onion types you find at the farmer’s market these days (torpedo, spring).

Put the garlic cloves on a cutting board.  Turn a chefs knife on its side and place on a clove. With your left hand, smash the clove by hitting the flat side of the knife.  The clove should split open.  Peel the clove and repeat with the remaining cloves.  Roughly chop the garlic and set aside.

When the beets are done, remove them from the oven and let sit on the counter for 5 to 10 minutes, no longer.  Take a paper towel or kitchen towel you don’t care about.  Hold the beet in one hand with a towel, then with the other hand, wipe the towel over the side of the beet.  The skin should come off easily.  Be prepared to end up with some red on your hands.  When done peeling all beets, cut them into bite sized pieces and set aside.

Add some olive oil (1 to 2 tablespoons) to a sauté pan over medium heat.  Add the onions and chopped stems.  Sauté 3 minutes then add the garlic.  Cook until the onions turn translucent and the stems soften a little.

Add the chopped greens and stir.  Cook a few minutes, season with ½ teaspoon salt, a few twists of black pepper, then pour a splash of white wine in the pan.  Cover the pan and cook for a few minutes longer.

Uncover, add the oregano and thyme sprigs, then stir the mixture.  If the greens start sticking to the bottom of the pan, add a splash more wine and stir.

At this point, the greens should be just about done.  Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt if desired.

If not done to your liking, cook a few more minutes.  I like my greens just barely al dente.

When done, add the cut up beets, squeeze the juice of half a lemon over the mixture, put the feta on top and stir to combine.  Drizzle with a tablespoon of good quality olive oil.

Enjoy with a baguette, loaf of your favorite bread or pita bread quarters.  I also like to serve hummus or baba ganoush on the side.