Mixed braising greens from Markcristo Farm in Hillsdale, New York
“What do I do with cooking greens?” The answer is simple. Use two simple techniques, wok or braise.
What kind of greens? Milder greens include spinach and Swiss chard. Commonly found robust greens include collard, kale, dandelion, mustard, turnip, and broccoli rabe.
Wokked or Braised Greens
Adapted from my book, The Locavore Way.
Wokked (or sautéed) broccoli rabe, seasoned with garlic and ginger
Makes 2 to 3 servings, easily doubled or tripled
1 bunch of any kind of cooking greens
2 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Kosher or sea salt
Vinegar or fresh lemon juice and hot sauce to taste
Chicken stock (optional)
1. Remove and discard the long ends and tough spines from the greens. Tear or cut your greens into bite-sized pieces. (If you’re happy to using a knife to eat them, skip this step.)
2. Braising (best tougher greens, like kale and collards)
Plunge the greens into a large pot of salted, boiling water. Immediately drain them into a colander. Press the water out with a spoon. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, stirring occasionally until the garlic is fragrant but not brown. Add the cooked greens to the skillet and toss to heat through. Season with salt, lemon juice or vinegar and hot sauce to taste. (If you like your greens cooked longer, add a scant ladle of stock. Cover and cook until you like them. Season to taste.)
3. Sautéing (best for fragile, mild greens, like spinach and chard)
In a wok or large sauté pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is fragrant but not browned. Add the greens and cook, turning them with tongs, until they are warm and wilted, about 2 minutes. Season with salt, vinegar or lemon juice and hot sauce to taste.
Serving suggestions
Serve as a side dish. Or, for a complete meal, serve with cooked fish, chicken, tofu or meat. For a lighter meal, accompany with sliced red onion, toasted French bread, and your favorite cheese. Assemble a baguette sandwich with leftovers, adding an extra squeeze of lemon and serving as is or with other ingredients.
Fun Variations
For Asian-style greens, use sliced scallion whites instead of onion. Add ginger with the garlic. Finish with a sprinkle of scallion greens and a drizzle of sesame oil. With spinach, add a little freshly grated nutmeg and/or a touch of grated Parmesan cheese at the end of cooking. For a tasty weeknight supper, double the garlic and with cooked pasta. Another variation is to cook the greens with minimum of cooking oil, then toss with a warm oil and vinegar based dressing or a touch of lightly browned butter. Or try long braising greens with diced canned tomatoes, water and smoked pork or bacon.
