Good Ideas: Beet Greens Pie

Roasting beets the other a.m. (doesn't everyone roast beets first thing in the morning?), I thought, what a waste it is to always throw away those beautiful red stemmed leaves, also known as beet greens.

I got a burst of energy and decided instead of tossing them, to cut them up, throw them in a big skillet with 2 cloves of sliced garlic, olive oil, a few pieces of chopped bacon and half a red onion, salt and pepper.

Now what am I going to do with this cooked beet green mixture at 9 a.m.?



I remember as a kid, my friend's grandmother from Italy used to make a Swiss chard pie. I didn't even know what Swiss chard was back then.
It was so delicious made with a buttery crust and ricotta cheese. Why I was thinking about that pie from 30 years ago, I can not tell you.

I decided to recreate that beautiful greens pie to the best of my memory, using the beet greens. Instead of a pasta frolla, or pie crust, I used fresh breadcrumbs and adhered them to the buttered pie dish.

I was very pleased with how this came out, it was pretty and delicious, just like I remember.



Stacey's Beet Greens Pie:

bunch of beet greens cut, washed and chopped
3 slices of bacon, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4 eggs
16 oz. container of fresh ricotta cheese
3/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
salt & pepper
1/2 cup of fresh breadcrumbs
butter for greasing the pan

In a large heavy skillet, cook your bacon until starting to render some fat, and add the beet greens, garlic and onion. Cook about 10 minutes until greens start to wilt and take off the heat.

In a bowl, mix your eggs, ricotta cheese, parmesan, salt and pepper and add the beet green mixture once it has cooled.

In a well greased pie dish or quiche pan, press fresh breadcrumbs into the sides to create a crust.

Pour your filling into this and bake in a 350F oven for about 30 minutes until puffed and golden.



Serve with a beet salad, but of course.