Turnip/Beet/Raddish Tops
Posted by curiale on Jun 29, 2006 · Member since Sep 2005 · 116 posts
Hello everyone,
just wondering if anyone has any idea what to do with the green leafy tops of turnips, raddishes, beets, etc. my CSA box came with all the aforementioned veggies this week, and i have no idea what to do with the greens! the letter says to cut the greens off and store them separately, so i'm certain they're edible...any ideas?
i know there was a post earlied about carrot tops, but just wondering if anyone had experience with the specific veggies i mentioned.
thanks in advance!
so it is not necessary to steam them first? sounds easy, thanks!
Here's what I do with beet greens.
The bigger leaves get de-veined. I run a knife down the central vein on both sides. Discard the vein & chop the rest of the green into bite sized pieces. Then I saute the greens in a bit of olive oil, Newman's Own Balsamic Vinegarette dressing (I love this stuff!) & chopped crimini mushrooms, a bit of grated carrot. Add what you like. Saute till veggies are tender. Serve over brown rice.
I also have a stir fry sauce that is a combo of soy sauce & orange juice concentrate, but I haven't been able to find that recipe in months. ??? Off the top of my head, I would guess 1/4 cup soy sauce or tamri, 1/4 cup orange juice concentrate (do not dilute!), 1/4 cup olive oil. Mix & pour into hot pan. Add veggies & sautee. Serve over rice.
The greens are really good for you but I would definitely get organic if you can afford to. Also, for those who like to add rice to their stir fry instead of serving the sauteed veggies over rice, cook the rice the day before & chill completely in the fridge. Give your bowl of rice a good shake or stir to loosen all the kernels before adding to the stir fry. ;) --I got this little tip from Lorna Sass & it makes a huge difference in stir fry.
8)
Turnip and radish greens can be used to make soup, and I'm quite sure beet tops can too. Use a good broth base. Blanch your greens for a few seconds in boiling water, then chop and add to the broth (radish greens especially can be v. sharp in flavour). Add diced raw potato, seasoning, and soy or other milk (I'm ovolacto so I use regular moomilk). Cook until potatoes are tender and then blitz in the blender or use a hand-blender, until smooth. Check your seasoning. Serve with a good wholegrain bread.
The French have been eating "greens" soup for centuries. I fed turnipgreen soup to DH and he enjoyed it. I asked him did he want to know what it was and he said, "No, don't tell me, I like it!" ::)
Lezly: thanks so much for the recipe ideas! i will definitely try them. and all my CSA stuff is organic, so it's super easy! i highly, highly recommend CSAs to everyone.
yabbitgirl: that soup sounds really good! i don't have a blender though, just a mini cuisinart. i wonder if that would work?