Beet Green Holubtsi and Crispy Smash Patty - Market Meal

Someone at the market recently said they had no idea what to do with beet greens and that got me thinking about sharing some of our favourite ways to utilize them. This dish turned out absolutely delicious and super easy. Using our locally grown produce, organic jersey cream and our neighbours ground beef!

Started with cooking two cups of rice and let that cool enough to work with. Sautéed up, diced onion and garlic, then added it to our rice alongside, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and crushed dried Japanese kale. Blanch the beet greens in boiling water for 10 seconds and then dunked into ice cold water. Once cooled, squeezed all the water out. Lay the leaves out flat and scoop the rice mixture onto the each leaf near the bottom, leaving enough room to wrap the sides in, similar to a burrito. Add completed rolls into a greased baking pan. Once you’re fully done, start on your sauce. Make a rue out of equal parts butter and flour, I used 4 tablespoons of each. Once combined and cooked out a little bit, slowly add about 2 cups of heavy cream and 1 cup of chicken or veggie broth. Get the consistency to where you like it but note that it will thicken in the oven. Season the sauce heavily with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder. Pour sauce onto the rolls and wrap in tinfoil. Bake at 350F for about 45 minutes. Garnish with lots of freshly chopped dill, you could also add dill into the sauce when you season it.

Closer to showtime, I started with the smashed patties. Made the classic burger mixture of seasonings, onion, garlic, egg and breadcrumbs. Smashed them nice and thin with the help of a layer of parchment paper and a metal flipper. Created a little salad out of slicing up, loose leaf lettuce, maché greens and topped it with arugula flowers.

#eatlocal #farmersmarketmeals #gardentogourmet #beetgreens #recipe