Eat Your Vegetables: Kale, Chard, Beet Tops, and More

Check out the leaf that arrived in our Farmhouse Delivery basket recently:


Sure, you know leafy green things like kale*, chard, beet tops, mustard greens, and collards are the definition of Good For You, but what do you do with them? I'm not a fan of the "throw in a pot with bacon and water, cook for hours, and hope for the best" approach. I know there is probably some elderly but still elegant lady in the south who wears pearls, smokes cigars, and makes  a mean mint julip that can slow-braise greens with some secret recipe that makes them taste yummy. But she doesn't live in my house.

I turned to Cook's Illustrated for guidance, did some experimentation on my own, and came up with the two recipes that I will use for the rest of my days (or until something better comes along).

Greens: Simple & Garlicky
You need: greens, olive oil, fresh garlic, salt, pepper, a lemon wedge

Directions:
1. Wash the greens. Remove any tough and/or thick ribs, then roughly chop or tear the leaves. Don't dry the leaves; you want that water for steaming.

2. Heat a large skillet and throw in about half the greens. Stir 'til starting to wilt, then add the rest. Put a lid on it! (I love saying that.) During this process, you may need to add more water – bonus! beef or chicken broth – to convince the leaves to mellow out. Kale takes a while; beet tops are a little more willing to give it up.

3. When the leaves are dark green and as wilted as you like them – as all things, I like mine very well-done, which means quite wilted – take off the lid and let any remaining water evaporate.

4. Turn off the heat and drizzle some olive oil over the greens. Crush a clove or two of garlic into the pan. Stir. Smell. Smile.

5. Sprinkle with a little sea salt and pepper, then, if you like, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Greens: Creamy & Spicy
You need: greens, coconut milk, fresh garlic, Ras el Hanout

Directions:
1. Wash the greens. Remove any tough and/or thick ribs, then roughly chop or tear the leaves. Don't dry the leaves; you want that water for steaming.

2. Heat a large skillet and throw in about half the greens. Stir 'til starting to wilt, then add the rest. Put a lid on it! (I love saying that.)

3. When the leaves are dark green and as wilted as you like them – as all things, I like mine very well-done, which means quite wilted – take off the lid and let any remaining water evaporate.

4. Pour about 1/2 cup of coconut milk into the pan. Stir, then add 1-2 teaspoons of Ras El Hanout, and a crushed clove or two of garlic. Add salt to taste.

5. Sauté until the sauce begins to thicken and your nose is delighted by the aroma.

Note: If you haven't had a chance to make Ras el Hanout yet (I know you'll take my advice eventually.), you can substitute an on-the-go Moroccan blend of 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon coriander – and if you're really in a hurry, just throw in some cumin and move on.)

Bonus addition for either recipe:
You can make the delicious bitterness of the greens really sing (Sing, people!) with the addition of just a few raisins or dried cranberries... like, a tablespoon for the whole batch. The dried fruit adds minimal sugar and maximum flavor. Just throw it in while you're wilting the greens. The steam that softens the greens will plump up the dried fruit. Magic!

* For what it's worth, during the last few months, I've tried kale, red swiss chard, red beet tops, and collard greens. My favorite is kale, which also happens to be packed with antioxidants, calcium, and Vitamins A and C. One cup delivers more than 1300% of the daily value of vitamin K. And oh yeah, it's delicious.