Botanical name: Beta vulgaris

Although we think of beets as a being grown for their roots, the leaves are actually the most nutritious part of the plant. Beet greens are a part of all good beets, but they behave like another vegetable entirely. Beet leaves are described as the earthiest and mildest of cooking greens.

Nutritional value: The long green or greenish-red leaves supply a good amount of folate (folic acid) as well as some calcium, iron, beta-carotene and another phytochemical, betacyanin, which is (like beta-carotene) an antioxidant.

Selection: Beet greens are available all year; freshness can be determined by the perkiness of the leaves.

Storage: If you won’t be cooking beets and greens together, cut them apart and store separately in a cold part of the refrigerator. Greens do not store well, so plan to cook them in a couple of days.

Preparation/Use: Beet greens on their own are a terrific side dish or tossed with pasta and can be cooked like (or substituted for) Swiss chard. Wash the greens well in several changes of tepid water. Trim away the bottom stems that tend to be the toughest. Young, tender greens need no slicing or chopping and can be sautéed whole. Heat a small amount of olive oil and garlic in a nonstick skillet, add the greens, a sprinkling of salt and cook over medium-low heat until wilted and tender. If greens are slightly bitter, you can add a little sugar along with the salt when cooking them.

Older, tougher greens require chopping or slicing and longer cooking. How you cut the greens depends upon how you are going to cook them. To serve greens on their own, they can be torn into bite-size pieces or sliced crosswise. Again, heat a small amount of olive oil and garlic and cook over medium-low heat until wilted and tender.

Beet greens also make a wonderful sauce for pasta. Slice greens crosswise and sauté in olive oil along with garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and chopped olives if you like. Add a little broth or pasta cooking water to the pan to make the greens saucy and toss with hot penne, fusilli, or ziti. Add a small handful of grated Parmesan cheese and toasted pine nuts and serve.