“In such a world of conflict, a world of victims and executioners, it is the job of thinking people, not to be on the side of the executioners.” – Albert Camus.

Today was a sad day for justice in America, a heartbreaking leap backwards. I’m sure that wiser and more articulate people than me will discuss it at great lengths, and I hope that before long a change will be made, we will have a new verdict, and we will have the kind of peace that can only come with justice. So today’s Sunday interactive playlist is on the subject of justice. Cries for justice such as Peter Tosh’s Equal Rights or stories of justice gone awry, such as Bob Dylan’s Seven Curses. If you can think of songs about justice being correctly meted out, those would be more than welcome, but I declare that I’m too saddened and discouraged to think of any at the moment!

And a recipe to go with our playlist, because even on a day such as this, we need to keep our strength up and nourish one another. Beets and greens, beets and greens. It’s been that kind of spring. This is a variation on my favorite dish, which is greens with raisins and pine nuts. Instead of raisins, we have lovely little sweet morsels of roasted beets. I used garlic scapes because I had them, but you could use regular garlic. I flavored this with fresh sage and rosemary from the farm. And I used chard and beet greens, but you could use spinach, kale, or even collards, if that’s what you’ve got. If you use kale or collards, you’ll want to parboil them for five or ten minutes to soften them up.

Here’s a link to your interactive playlist. Please add what you’d like, or leave a comment and I’ll add the song.

2 small beets, purple or golden, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch dice
olive oil to coat
2 T olive oil
1 largish bunch greens, washed and trimmed and finely chopped (I used chard and beet greens)
1 or 2 garlic scapes, woody parts cut off, minced or 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 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. Stir or shake the pan from time to time. Set aside.

In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the garlic scapes, 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 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, cooking just long enough to warm them. Season well with salt and pepper and scatter the pine nuts on top.