Beet Leaf Burritos

IN MY QUEST FOR SEASONAL DELICIOUSNESS,  I recently turned beet leaves into the burritos you see pictured up top. These are filled with the most fragrant rice-mixture in the world, for it is infused with lemon, fennel, and dill. Can I offer you a taste?

If you are growing beets in your garden, feel free to cut some of the leaves. Just don’t cut all of them. A few leaves are needed in order to nourish the edible root below. For beet burritos, try to use medium-sized leaves.

Beet Leaf Burritos
Ingredients for about 36 rolls (Even if you are making fewer than 36 rolls, I hope you’ll make all of the filling — it’s outrageously-delicious all on its own.)
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
1 cup long-grain white rice
2 cups chicken stock, preferably unsalted; vegetarians can substitute vegetable broth
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish
Grated zest of one lemon
Juice of one lemon
Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper
3 Tablespoons sour cream, plus more for a dipping sauce
36 (or less) beet leaves

Special Equipment - a large skillet with a cover; a kettle of boiling water; a large bowl or casserole dish for wilting the leaves; paper towels for blotting the leaves

The filling - Set the skillet over low heat; add the oil and onions. Cover, and  cook until the onions are soft — about 10 minutes. Stir in the rice, chicken stock, fennel, lemon zest, lemon juice, a big pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper; bring to a boil over high heat. Then cover the skillet, and immediately reduce heat to its lowest setting. Simmer undisturbed until the rice has absorbed all of the liquid — about 20 minutes. Allow the filling to cool while you prepare the beet greens.

Note: If you are not making the burritos right away, you may cover and refrigerate the filling for up to 2 days.

The beet greens - rinse off any dirt which might be clinging to the leaves; trim off stems. If the vein at the stem-end of a leaf seems particularly tough, cut it out by making “V”-shaped incision, as pictured above.

Wilting the leaves - Place the leaves in a casserole dish or bowl, then pour boiling water over them until all are submerged. Cover with a sheet of plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and let sit until the leaves are tender enough to roll without tearing — about 5 minutes.

Drying the leaves - lay the softened leaves on paper towels; blot tops to remove excess moisture.  The leaves needn’t be perfectly dry.

Adding the sour cream and dill - Pour the rice mixture into a bowl; stir in the sour cream and dill. The sour cream will act as a binding agent, and make the rice easier to work with. Trust me on this one. Taste the mixture carefully for seasoning — you might like to add more salt and/or pepper.

Filling the leaves - Place a teaspoon (or slightly more) of filling at the stem-end of a leaf.

Fold the stem-end over the filling, then fold both sides toward the middle…

…and roll up into a cylinder.

Serving - Arrange the burritos on a platter, and serve alongside a bowl of sour cream which has been sprinkled with finely chopped dill.

Need a cut-and-paste version of the above recipe? Here goes:

Beet Leaf Burritos
Kevin Lee Jacobs, A Garden for the House
Ingredients for about 36 rolls (Even if you are making fewer than 36 rolls, I hope you’ll make all of the filling — it’s outrageously-delicious all on its own.)
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
1 cup long-grain white rice
2 cups chicken stock, preferably unsalted; vegetarians can substitute vegetable broth
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish
Grated zest of one lemon
Juice of one lemon
Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper
3 Tablespoons sour cream, plus more for a dipping sauce
36 (or less) beet leaves

Special Equipment - a large skillet with a cover; a kettle of boiling water; a large bowl or casserole dish for wilting the leaves; paper towels for blotting the leaves

The filling - Set the skillet over low heat; add the oil and onions. Cover, and  cook until the onions are soft — about 10 minutes. Stir in the rice, chicken stock, fennel, lemon zest, lemon juice, a big pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper; bring to a boil over high heat. Then cover the skillet, and immediately reduce heat to its lowest setting. Simmer undisturbed until the rice has absorbed all of the liquid — about 20 minutes. Allow the filling to cool while you prepare the beet greens.

Note: If you are not making the burritos right away, cover and refrigerate the filling for up to 2 days.

The beet greens - rinse off any dirt which might be clinging to the leaves; trim off stems. If the vein at the stem-end of a leaf seems particularly tough, cut it out by making “V”-shaped incision, as pictured above.

Wilting the leaves - Place the leaves in a casserole dish or bowl, then pour boiling water of them until all are submerged. Cover with a sheet of plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and let sit until the leaves are tender enough to roll without tearing — about 5 minutes.

Drying the leaves - lay the softened leaves on paper towels; blot tops to remove excess moisture.  The leaves needn’t be perfectly dry.

Adding the sour cream and dill - Pour the rice mixture into a bowl; stir in the sour cream and dill. The sour cream will act as a binding agent, and make the rice easier to work with. Trust me on this one. Taste the mixture carefully for seasoning — you might like to add more salt.

Filling the leaves - Place a teaspoon (or slightly more) of filling at the stem-end of a leaf. Fold the stem-end over the filling, then fold both sides toward the middle, and roll up into a cylinder.

Serving - Arrange the burritos on a platter, and serve them alongside a bowl of sour cream which has been sprinkled with finely chopped dill.

Think you’ll try these filled beet leaves? You can let me know by leaving a comment. As always, I love to hear from you.

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