Yesterday, I woke up with flu-like symptoms that I really struggled with, but lost. I couldn’t even get up. Lon had already gone to work but my brother came over to walk Ice for me. Thanks Justin! I was so hot, it was causing a headache, but at the same time, I was shivering with chills. I had aches all over. Despite having this recipe for my Winter BLT already written and pictures in the camera, I just couldn’t get up to finish this post. I’m a little e-mail obsessed and I just let most of my e-mails go yesterday. I really can’t remember the last time I felt this incapacitated.

Winter BLT 7

After seeing my doctor and getting Tamiflu, I woke up this morning and wow, I’m not recovered by any means, but I can sit up. Thank goodness.

So, I made this Winter BLT on Tuesday because my friend Caroline was coming over and she likes bacon. I thought of a BLT but then thought about how terrible tomatoes are in NY now. Luckily, I have my handy slow roasted tomatoes in the fridge. Then I thought, why not go all the way and give this BLT a seasonal make-over.

Instead of lettuce, I decided on beet greens sauteed in the bacon fat. I know some people just throw out the beet greens but they’re edible and tasty, not to mention pretty with the little bit of pink in the green. Don’t throw them out. Generally, the ones that you get on top of beets are rougher and do need to be cooked. (Some beet greens, grown specifically for use in salads, can be more tender.)

fresh beet greens

I also used roasted garlic instead of mayo (I know Lon is going to cringe at this) because the beet greens were cooked in bacon fat and I wanted the whole thing to be warm. No cold elements. The resulting sandwich of roasted garlic, sauteed beet greens, slow roasted tomatoes, and bacon, on a soft Portuguese roll is as perfect a combination as the original, with a hat and mittens on.

Winter BLT 4

Winter BLT

  • 5 slices thick-cut bacon
  • 4 cup shredded beet greens (remove stems)
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 10 to 12 slow roasted tomato halves
  • 2 Portuguese rolls or similar bread, sliced in half lengthwise
  • 6 cloves roasted garlic

Instructions –

1. Lay bacon in a large cast iron pan and place over medium heat. Don’t touch it. Let it snap and sizzle until the bottom side is golden. Turn them over. If there’s too much fat, you can pour some out. When they’re done to your liking, remove to a plate with paper towel. Set it somewhere warm and cover with aluminum foil.

bacon in cast iron

2. Leave about 1 tablespoon of bacon grease in the pan and cook the beet greens until tender but not mushy, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

3. Warm slow roasted tomatoes in a pan with some olive oil, about 1 minute. Set aside.

4. Spread 3 cloves of roasted garlic on the bottom half of each Portuguese roll.

roasted garlic layer

5. Divide beet greens among the two rolls.

beet green layer

6. Lay tomatoes on top.

slow roasted tomato layer

7. Lay bacon on top.

bacon layer

8. Close the sandwich and serve. Slice in half if you like.

Winter BLT 5

posted by jessica at 11:52 AM Filed under American, Recipes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.