Cast Iron

Beet Greens Frittata with Tarragon and Goat Cheese

by:
February 26, 2010
0
0 Ratings
  • Serves 2 or 3
Author Notes

Don't throw out the beet greens! —mrslarkin

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Ingredients
  • 4 large eggs
  • about 1 cup beet stems, washed and cut into 1" pieces
  • about 4 cups beet leaves, washed
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon, plus extra for garnish
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 tablespoon heavy cream
  • 2 ounces goat cheese
  • **If cooking for a crowd, double the ingredients and make two frittatas
Directions
  1. In a large pot of lightly salted boiling water, blanch beet stems until tender. With a slotted spoon or spider strainer, remove from water and place in a colander. Gently press out water with the back of a large spoon, the spider strainer, or if cool enough, squeeze in your hands. Place stems in a dish.
  2. Add beet leaves to boiling water and blanch until tender. Remove from water, cool slightly in colander, and squeeze out excess water again. Roughly chop the beet leaves. Place them in the dish with the stems and salt these very well.
  3. In a pan, heat olive oil. Add garlic and cook until just barely golden. Add beet greens and sauté for 5 minutes. Taste for salt, and add more if desired.
  4. Whisk together the eggs, ¼ teaspoon salt, a grating of pepper, the cream, and the tarragon.
  5. Heat a small 8" cast-iron frying pan or non-stick pan over medium heat. Add a slick of olive oil to pan to coat bottom. Pour in egg mixture and sprinkle beet greens over top. With a rubber spatula, gently lift edges of the frittata and let the uncooked egg run underneath.
  6. Sprinkle on the goat cheese. Continue lifting the edges, until almost done, and bottom of frittata is golden.
  7. Carefully invert a dinner plate over the pan, hold tight, grab the hot handle with a dry dish towel and flip upside down. Your frittata should now be upside-down on the plate. If pan is dry, add just a touch of olive oil to the pan. Next, slide the frittata back in the pan and continue cooking until done and bottom is golden. Alternatively, to avoid the fliperoo, place the frittata under the broiler for a few minutes until done.
  8. Turn out onto a serving dish. Cool slightly. Garnish with additional fresh tarragon, and scoops of goat cheese drizzled with olive oil sprinkled with sea salt. Cut into wedges, or 1" hors d'oeuvre-sized squares, and serve. Frittatas are great warm, room temperature, or cold.

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10 Reviews

Emmalator June 22, 2014
I used duck eggs and Cypress Fog Purple Haze goat cheese. Such a great recipe, and the perfect way to use up those beautiful beet greens and stems! Delicious.
mrslarkin June 26, 2014
so glad you liked it, Emma!
meganvt01 June 21, 2011
Perfect for all the CSA beets I have been getting, I love that you use the sweet beets and the greens in one dish. Very nice!
mrslarkin June 21, 2011
Thanks, meganvt01! I actually didn't use the beets here - just the red stems and green leaves - but I bet it would be super tasty with the beets, too!
meganvt01 June 21, 2011
Well, that just goes to show how much we eat with our eyes first! The red in the picture was so stunning I assumed the beets too :)
Midge November 15, 2010
Beets in a frittata- I love it!
mrslarkin November 15, 2010
Thanks, Midge!
julie_chicago November 15, 2010
Thanks! I'll probably add an extra egg or two as you suggest.
julie_chicago November 14, 2010
Hi Mrs. Larkin: I want to make this! I love coming up with things to do with my beet greens. Please tell me what size pan you use???? I consider my 9-inch cast iron "small" but not sure that will work here.
mrslarkin November 14, 2010
Hi Julie! I use an 8" cast iron pan. I'm sure 9" would work well too! You can always add an extra egg to give the frittata more heft. Let me know how it turns out for you!