Beet Greens Three Ways

If the beet greens from the borscht look good, then destem and wash them. Cook them down in a saucepan with just a little bit of water for some 30-45 minutes.

Don't lose heart when you see the tiny little lump they've turned into! Divide the lump into three portions and array them on a platter like some sort of nightmarish cheese plate:

Portion 1: with fig-balsamic

Portion 2: with olive oil and hot pepper flakes

Portion 3: with lemon and salt

Borscht

When we were in Russia a few years back we had to suffer through bowl after bowl of horribly inauthentic borscht--they didn't even blend the soup! There were chunks of beef at the bottom!

This is the true and original recipe for borscht, handed down from Irish generation to Irish generation on Hazel's side.

Eight peeled beets, one small red cabbage chopped into chunks, a red onion, two big carrots, a few cloves of garlic and some thyme in a saucepan with just enough 50/50 water/stock to cover. Cook until the beets are soft, then blend, then cool. Serve with greek yogurt and a squeeze of lemon.

Buttermilk Scones

Mix together 1 1/2 cup flour (can do 1 cup white and 1/2 cup ww pastry), 1/4 cup sugar (can increase to 1/3 if you aren't planning to eat them with jam), 1/2 t salt, 1 1/4 t baking powder, and 1/4 t baking soda. Using your fingers add in 6 T cold butter until the dough is crumb-like. Add in 1/4 cup currants, and then add 1/2 cup buttermilk slowly as you stir. Stir until just combined. Put onto floured surface, maybe knead a couple times and then form into a 1 inch thick round. Cut into 6-8 triangles and put on a greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 400 for 14 minutes.

Serve warm with jam or just plain.