Great Greens
When John and I were underpaid art kids living in Brooklyn, one of our go-to bar hangouts had a side dish of braised greens that we would get with a round of drinks as a treat. I started reminiscing about it recently while our CSA supplies us with gallons of greens a week, the growing season still ramping up. Our Braising Skillet handles the bounty handily without the annoyance of spilling leaves all over the stove.
Á la Sam Sifton, our no-recipe recipe for braised greens:
You can use whatever greens you have on hand for this. Pictured, we have just under 2 gallons of rainbow chard and the tops of a dozen turnips. I love to use the tops of turnips, beets, radishes etc for a bitter addition, rather than throwing them in the compost!
In a wide pan (ahem), sauté chopped garlic in olive oil until it begins to sizzle. Setting the temperature to medium-low, add as many greens as you have. They will cook down tremendously. As they do begin to wilt, turn them over with a spatula or pair of tongs every minute or so. When they look deflated, quickly mix in a splash of apple cider vinegar to brighten the flavor.
Take them off the heat, sprinkle with parmesan and move them into the broiler on low until the parm melts and the edges of the greens just start to crisp up. The cheese should get them saltly enough, but season to taste.
Some variations:
- Add browned butter and toasted nuts for a more decadent take. Swap the parmesan for bleu cheese and skip the broiler
- Toss with crisped bacon or cook in a bit of bacon grease
- Mix with white beans and serve over pasta. Add lemon zest
- Wonderful as a speedy meal over grits and eggs