Nonsense! Gobbledygook! Gibberish! Balderdash! Folderol! Some days this is all I feel capable of speaking. Today, for instance, I’m having trouble putting a whole sentence together in a sensible or intelligible way. Some people take nonsense to a whole new level, and it becomes a language all its own, articulate, even eloquent. And then they set it to music and it becomes a thing of beauty. And that is the subject of today’s Sunday interactive playlist…songs with a language all their own. We’ve been listening to a lot of Slim Gaillard, and he speaks Vout, of course, but songs with scat in them, songs in a language the singer doesn’t understand, any song that separates the sound of the words with any meaning, these are the songs we’re looking for this week.
We’re back to beet season! We got some pretty beets from the farm. I roasted them, and roasted some mushrooms, and then I sauteed the beet greens with big juicy butterbeans. Then we tossed it all together and ate it with some farro. Tasty.

Here’s a link to the interactive playlist. Add what you like, or leave a comment and I’ll try to remember to add it through the week.

2 small beets, purple or golden, peeled and cut in half and then into 1/4 inch slices
olive oil to coat
Mushrooms roasted this way
2 T olive oil
1 shallot, minced
1 clove garlic minced
3 or 4 fresh sage leaves, chopped, or 1 t dried
2 t fresh rosemary, chopped, or 1 t dried
1 t red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 can butterbeans, rinsed and drained
beet greens, washed and trimmed and finely chopped
1 t balsamic
1 T butter
salt and plenty of freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup pine nuts

Preheat the oven to 425. Toss the beets with olive oil to coat, and spread in a single layer on a small baking sheet. Roast until the beets are darkened and beginning to crisp up, 20 or so minutes. Turn the beets from time to time. Set aside.

In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the shallots and garlic, stir and fry until they start to soften and brown. After a few minutes, add the herbs and pepper flakes. Stir and cook for a minute or two, and then add the beans, greens and a few tablespoons of water. Cook till the greens are wilted and soft but still bright green, 2 to 10 minutes, depending on the greens you use and how you like them. Add the balsamic and butter, and stir in the beets and mushrooms, cooking just long enough to warm them. Season well with salt and pepper. Serve with farro, bulghur, rice, couscous, millet…anything you like!