Kitchen Garden Forum

Hi Peoples' . . . just been taming the Triffids and repelling the 'man eating vine' . . . its like a rain forest in the green house . . .

Praying for rain tonight, thats the trouble with living in East Anglia, very dry when every where else is swiming . . .

So to a question:
But a point that stuck me whilst dealing with the outside garden, let it run a bit in the past week or so, simply to hot!!! To late now may be, but in the same way as I ad the turnip top thinings to the salad bowl, could the same be done with beetroot tops, in fact I'm not sure, but I seem to have it in the back of my mind that beetroot leaves at any stage are edible . . . but are they tasty 'good' to eat, and does one cook them as they get older, imagine they might be treated like spinach??? A light sweat, pepper, salt, knob of butter???

Be interested in any sugestions and guidance?

Thank you, CJS

Hi CJS

Beetroot leaves - YES

Eat the youngest raw in salad, the older ones can be cooked.

Definately CJS

I go round the plot when gathering salad and in
with the cut and come I take beetroot leaves, chard
leaves, onion and shallot tops, herbs, baby pak choi.
I have a taste of most follage and if I like it in it goes.

I have never cooked them though. On the same vein
I read all parts of squash are edible. Anyone tried
this and any recipes?

Westi

We eat them as spinach and they are tasty.

We grow some beetroot and some carrots especially so we can eat the leaves in salads - thinking of growing pea shoots too. We have also used chard in the same way.

Supermarkets even put beetroot leaves in those mixed salad leaf bags that they sell. Just need to pick the young shoots

Westi wrote: On the same vein
I read all parts of squash are edible. Anyone tried
this and any recipes?

Westi

Have a look at my latest experience.

Thanks Alan

I always try to catch the flowers but even when
I do they are pretty naff by the time I get them
home so I usually use itsy bitsy courgettes like
this - and now I will use the leaves too.

Suspect could also stuff them and roll them like
grape leaves.

Westi

Hello CJS
Young beetroot leaves are fine in salad leaf mixes. By far the best variety for this is 'Bulls Blood'. It can be grown as 'cut and come again' (about 4 cuts are possible) to give you a superb tender deep red addition to your leaf mix. The roots are quite good too if you let them grow on.

John

PS There's still time to sow beetroot.

When I make a soup from beetroot I always add some of the stalks and leaves chopped up, right at the end. They shouldn't be overcooked though as the texture is spoiled.

We regularly eat small beetroot leaves in salads. The bigger ones are wilted down in a little olive oil and garlic, and highly suitable for including in stir fries and cheesy pasta sauces. . Last year I grew lots Chioggia variety (the pink ringed ones). The raw beets are very decorative sliced in matchstick size strips to garnish salads, but when boiled the colours run and it looks very insipid. The leaves though were delicious whenwilted down, as described above, and didn't taste of beetroot at all. They barely need any cooking at all.