recipe: Roasted Beet and Beet Green Salad with Gorgonzola uses often-overlooked but flavorful greens

This time of the year, it's easy to find beautiful beets and greens in groceries and markets across time. I pour a good bit of extra olive oil onto the beets before roasting. Then, I save the olive oil for vinaigrettes; the flavor of the oil is infused with fresh beets and marvelous tossed with greens.

Yield: 2 large salads
Time to roast beets: 45 to 75 minutes depending on size and age of beets

Ingredients

1 bunch beets (3-4 medium) with greens
Extra virgin olive oil, as needed
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons crumbled gorgonzola
2 tablespoons toasted walnuts
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon maple syrup

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Wash the beets thoroughly, leaving the skins on, and remove the greens. Rinse greens, spin dry, and set aside. (You should have at least 6 cups loosely packed greens; more greens if possible.) Place the beets in a small baking dish, roasting pan, and drizzle with olive oil. (You may also roast them in an aluminum foil package.)
3. Cover beets, and bake for 35 to 75 minutes, or until a knife can slide easily through the largest beet .When the beets are almost done, heat 1-2 tablespoons olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic, and cook for a minute. Tear the beet greens into 2 to 3 inch pieces, and add them to the skillet. Cook and stir until greens are wilted and tender over very low heat, about 3 mintues. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
4. When beets are cool enough to handle, remove skins with fingers or paring knife and slice. Place beet greens on a platter. Arrange cooked beets over greens, top with gorgonzola and toasted walnuts. Whisk together vinegar and maple syrup, drizzle over top and serve.

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