Have you ever eaten beet greens? Most people only eat the bottoms, the purple and golden yellow taproot that grows in the ground. But the green leaves and purple stalks on the top can be eaten too, and they are crisp and taste like spinach. Like other dark leafy greens, they are high in protein, fiber and vitamins, and can be sautéed and eaten in a frittata, or wilted and eaten in a quesadilla, or chopped and tossed raw into a salad.

Cherry tomatoes are starting to ripen on the vines, and the tiny orange and yellow orbs are sweeter and less acidic than their large, red counterparts. Sweet corn has also started showing up at farmers market, and I could not wait to get my hands on a few ears covered in green husks and long strands of silk. For a delightfully summery meal, I decided to grill some chicken and the ears of corn, and toss everything together in a large salad.

Roasted Chicken with Beet Greens, Corn and Cherry Tomatoes

Makes 2 servings

Total time: 30 minutes

In My Basket

1 bone-in chicken breast (from Chestnut Farm, Hardwick MA)

2 ears of Corn (from Wally’s Vegetables, Haverhill MA)

1 large bunch of Beet greens (from Stearns Farm, Framingham MA)

1 pint of Cherry Tomatoes (from Stearns Farm, Framingham MA)

1 medium Radish (from Stearns Farm, Framingham MA)

From the Pantry

salt and pepper, to taste

2 tbsp Caesar salad dressing

1. Preheat the grill. Wash and dry fresh produce. Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half, set aside. Thinly slice the radish, set aside. Remove the corn husks and the silks from the cob, set side.
2. When grill is hot, cook the chicken until golden and crisp. Grill the corn until bright yellow and kernels are browned. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Roughly tear the beet greens and divide between two plates. Cut the corn off the cob, and add the kernels, the sliced radishes and the halved tomatoes to the greens. Add a few pieces of chicken, and drizzle salad with dressing. Enjoy!

 

Alice Kathryn Richardson is a new media photojournalist based in Boston, MA. She created The Clean Food Club in 2016, and previously spent two years working on Deserts in the District, a series of short-form documentaries exploring food access and hunger in Washington, DC. She is committed to supporting local and sustainable food businesses by telling their stories with photo and video. Follow her on Twitter @AKR_Pictures.