When I first started to make roasted beets, all the recipes I referred to always said to save the beet greens for another recipe. Honestly, the beet greens that were attached to the beets that I got at Union Square farmers’ market always looked kinda gross so I never did. It wasn’t until moving to LA that I thought it safe to try using the greens without fear of eating something past its prime. Sauté? Steam? I figured I'd treat them like spinach.
There's a recipe my mom makes all the time: spinach goma ae (pronounced gomah ah eh). Goma ae is basically a sesame dressing. Ground up sesame seeds with a little soy, sugar and water. That’s it. Seemed like the perfect dressing to put on these pretty red-stemmed greens. Worked out so well (two thumbs up from Mr. Mari) I just want to be able to buy the green part of the vegetable.
I substituted agave for the sugar to give it a slightly warmer/rounder taste.
BEET GREEN GOMA-AE
Makes 4 servings
1-bunch beet greens, rinsed well
2-tablespoons sesame seeds
1-tablespoon soy sauce
3/4-teaspoon agave nectar or sugar
1-1/2 tablespoons water
Fill a large bowl with water and ice. Set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cut beet stem off close to the leaf and create a separate pile from the leaves. Add stems to the boiling water and cook for one minute. Add greens and cook for one minute. Drain greens and dump into ice bath.
Take a small clump out, and squeeze it dry. Really squeeze. Cut the greens into one inch long pieces. Place cut pieces in a medium sized bowl and keep chilled in fridge.
In a small DRY frying pan, toast the sesame seeds - do not put any oils in the pan, swirling the pan so they don’t burn. Once aromatic and brown (they may pop too) remove from heat. Reserve one teaspoon. Grind the remaining seeds in a food processor or mortar and pestle until smooth. Add the sugar, soy sauce and water. Stir until combined.
When ready to serve, pour the dressing over the greens and toss well. Portion out each serving, mounding the greens into a little hill. Sprinkle the remaining seeds on top. Enjoy!