Summer is the most exciting season for farmer’s markets in New York City. From late spring through mid-fall the stalls burst with color and flavor. I’ve been visiting the Union Square Greenmarket for years and I’m still surprised almost every time. On a recent weekend my friend Isabelle and I stumbled upon spigarelli broccoli—a delicious discovery we prepared exactly as suggested in a vendor’s tip. It was a real treat.
Isabelle and I are both passionate about the market, so we filmed a short Saturday video of our stroll. We fill our bags with the season’s best: crisp greens, stone fruits, melons, cucumbers, summer squashes, and sometimes fresh flowers. The market is also a great place to find local treats—vegan tea cakes, fresh bread, small-batch jams, and wines. Union Square Greenmarket feels like a little patch of calm in the city; when I wander through it, the worries of the week seem to fade.
Beet Green Almond Pesto Pilaf
After picking up a beautiful bunch of beets at the market, I made a simple, vibrant pilaf: quinoa tossed with roasted beets and a beet-green almond pesto. When your ingredients are this fresh, there’s no need to complicate things—let the produce shine. If you find Chioggia beets (the pink-and-white striped variety), try slicing them thin and serving them raw with the pesto to preserve their pretty pattern; the stripes fade when cooked.
If you don’t have beet greens, fresh spinach or kale makes a good substitute. This recipe highlights seasonal flavor and straightforward preparation so every bite tastes like summer.
Buon appetito!
Beet Green + Almond Pesto Pilaf
Ingredients
- 4 small fresh beets, steamed
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 1 ½ cup water
- 1 bunch beet greens, about 3–4 cups, stems removed
- ¾ cup toasted almonds
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- Juice of one lime
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp red chili flakes
- 3 tbsp olive oil (or water if you prefer oil-free)
Instructions
- Steam the whole beets in a pot with a steam basket for 20–30 minutes, until tender.
- While the beets steam, prepare the quinoa. Toast 1 cup quinoa in a dry pot over medium heat for about 30 seconds, shaking the pot so the grains toast evenly and begin to pop.
- Add 1 ½ cups water to the toasted quinoa and bring to a gentle boil. Cook for 10 minutes with the lid slightly ajar, then remove from heat, cover completely, and let sit 5–10 minutes so the quinoa finishes steaming.
- When the beets are done, place them in a colander and rinse with cold running water. The skins should slip off easily; remove them and quarter the beets.
- Toss the quinoa with the quartered beets and the pesto (recipe below). Adjust seasoning to taste and serve warm or at room temperature.
PESTO
- In a food processor combine beet greens, toasted almonds, chopped garlic, lime juice, sea salt, black pepper, and red chili flakes.
- With the processor running, slowly pour in the olive oil (or water for an oil-free option). Blend until the pesto reaches your desired texture; I like mine somewhat grainy but well combined.