And the garden grew. It grew and it grew and it grew. And the beet patch looked awfully crowded. Those little beets weren’t going to grow up to be plump, delicious beets for roasting because there simply was no room!
And so we started yanking. Thin, thin, thin. And then a little more.
Note to self- plant them farther apart next year!
My 4 year old and I ended up with quite a pile of small baby beet greens with next to no beet root yet.
‘Well’, thought I. ‘How can I arrange to have a few of these in our food today’…?I had my doubts that they’d go over well in a big leafy salad, because that’s not something my boys (4 & 2) are typically sold on. Big leafy green salads are less than exciting around here. Maybe into a slaw salad, or one with lots of bright fruits and veggies…
In the meantime, I had a large pile of these little leaves, which I’ve read are jam packed with nutritious goodness, and 2 boys looking for snack.
So we tossed a handful into a smoothie instead of spinach, and though I wondered if they’d be too strong, I hardly got any of the mix because they were back for seconds before I could wash the blender… I’d say it was a success 🙂 I went easy on the amount, because they’re definitely stronger than spinach!
I would only use the tiny, tender, baby beet greens because they tend to be less bitter than the ones chopped off the fully grown beet roots. If you have avid green smoothie fans though, you may be able to use the larger greens also! Give it a shot!
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Chocolate-berry ‘beet green’ smoothie
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 1 min
- Total Time: 6 mins
- Yield: 4 snack servings 1x
Description
New baby beet greens together with berries in this tasty chocolate, kid loved smoothie recipe! Healthy smoothie for kids…yum.
Ingredients
- 2 cups milk (dairy or alternative)
- 1 mango, diced (about 3/4 – 1 cup)
- 1/2 – 1 cup baby beet greens*
- 2 dates**
- 1 cup frozen raspberries
- 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
- 1/2 T cocoa powder
Instructions
- Place milk, mango, greens, and soft dates into blender and blend well.
- Add frozen berries and cocoa.
- Blend till smooth and enjoy!
Notes
*about 2 – 3 tops from thinned beets
**If dates are not soft, soak in hot water prior to blending to soften
Frozen mango can be used in place of fresh. Use fresh raspberries or blueberries instead if using frozen mango.
From my kitchen to yours- enjoy!
