Cooked Beet Greens

Optionally, with Potato Flakes and Cheese:

For small amounts:

• Pour about a fourth-cup of olive oil into a dry pot (size 2 or more quarts) and swirl until it covers the pan bottom.
• When you pick beets, also cut and rinse the leaves (no stems).
  
• Stack them and cut them into bite size pieces and add to your pan.
• Add about a half-tablespoon of Lemon Juice for each inch (uncooked) of greens in the pan.
• Add about an ounce of butter.
• Optionally add a pinch of salt.
• Add a few tablespoons of water. Cover and simmer until soft (a few minutes).
• Now add some water to just about cover the greens. Cover and simmer until soft (about 20 minutes).
• Once soft, optionally add a slice or two of Velveeta (or American) Cheese. Cover again. When cheese is melted, stir and remove from heat.
• Add just enough Potato Flakes (giving time for the flakes to swell) to absorb most of the liquid.
• Your Beet Greens are ready to serve.

For large amounts:

A good time to make Beet Greens is when you thin your plantings.

Cut and rinse the leaves (no stems). Stack them and cut into bite size pieces.
  For a full 3 quart sauce pan of beet leaves (amounts below are approximate) add:

• A half cup of Olive Oil. Swirl to coat the pan bottom, then add the beet leaves.
• About 1 1/2 cups of water and 1/3 cup Lemon Juice.
• About 4 ounces of butter.
• Optionally add a pinch of salt.
• Add 5 to 8 cloves of Garlic.
• Cover and bring to a boil. Once leaves have settled into the liquid add about a half cup of minute rice. Optionally add 1/4 cup of textured vegetable protein (TVP).Allow about 10 minutes for the rice and TVP to soften.
  
• Put 3 or 4 slices of Velveeta (or American) Cheese on top of mix and cover. Once cheese is melted, stir into the mix and turn off the heat.
• Add potato flaxes as needed to thicken (stir in and wait a minute to let the flakes thicken).
• Done. This makes about 8 servings (then 3-quart sauce pan being about half full).

Also cooking the tiny Beets:

• Cooking the tiny Beets from thinning is easy. Just cut off the root, rinse while brushing off the dirt. Cover the larger beets ( 3/4 to 1 1/2 inch diameter) in a small pan of water. bring to a simmer for about 10 minutes then add the smaller beets. Simmer another 10 minutes and turn off the heat.
• Use a large spoon to put the cooked beets in a pan of cool water. Using gloves. pinch the skins off each beet (easily done) and put the beets into a bowl with a little butter and salt. Eat immediately!