Beet Greens, Garlic, and Romaine

Yesterday I got a box of CSA goodies with all kinds of wonderful stuff in it! What to cook first?

My sig.o, Beth, wanted fish on the grill; we settled on a simple piece of lake trout. Any fish dinner is begging to be served with plenty of good greens. We decided to start with the beet tops, which are highly perishable, and the romaine. I had a lemon lying around, and it became a key component to the meal.

And what a lovely meal! The beet greens provided an earthy, garlicky complement to the trout. Sweet, crunchy romaine played counterpoint to the tang of feta; and the squeeze of lemon brightened all the flavors. We rounded out the meal with a crusty whole-wheat baguette and a choice between iced tea and pinot grigio.

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Beet Greens with Fresh Garlic and Mirin

1 bunch beet greens, roughly chopped

1/4 cup fresh garlic (I sliced up the still-soft stem)

1 T olive oil 1/4 c. mirin Salt & pepper

Lemon wedges

Saute the beet greens in the olive oil for 2-3 minutes. Toss in the garlic and cook an additional minute. Add the mirin. Cover and turn down the heat a bit. Cook until tender, maybe 5 minutes. Salt & pepper to taste. Finish with a squeeze of lemon.

Romaine, Feta, and Walnut Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

1 head romaine lettuce, torn up

1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese

1/2 cup walnut pieces

Toss with this dressing:

3-5 black peppercorns

1 sprig of fresh thyme

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/4 to 1/2 t grated lemon zest

1 scallion bulb

1 cup olive oil

salt to taste

Put everything except the oil in a blender and pulverize. Drizzle the oil in a thin stream into the running blender.