When the farmer’s markets open you will start to see a lot of greens. Of’ course you can see them all year long in our supermarkets too. Greens shrink down to a fraction of what their raw versions are, so buy much more than you think you’ll eat. Also, it’s a good time to pick a variety- think Swiss chard, collards, spinach, kale, mustard, etc. Alone as a side or with a grain for a main course, it’s delicious!

Tips:

• I wash and prep my greens when I get home from the market to save space in my refrigerator. They take up less space that way.

• If you are cooking a giant batch and want it to last a week, for let’s say a quarantine, cook the greens according to the recipe, then store in a container and add additional olive oil to cover the greens. They will keep a week in the refrigerator that way.

• Add the greens to pasta for a delicious sauce or to an omelet or frittata.

• Add some white beans, toasted pine nuts and crumbled cheese, like ricotta salata, for a vegetarian meal.

• To properly wash greens submerge prepped greens in a large bowl of water. A clean sink can be used too. Agitate the greens for a few seconds to loosen any dirt and sand in the leaves. Let the greens sit a few minutes in the water then gently lift them out. If the dirt on the bottom of the bowl is a lot, then repeat this step. Once clean you can lay the greens on a tea towel or use your salad spinner to dry them. The leaves don’t need to be completely dry. A little water is good to create a steam while cooking.

Sautéed Greens

PREP 10 minutes- to clean them

COOK 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Lots of bunches of dark, leafy greens, washed

2 Cloves garlic, sliced

Olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

Red pepper flakes, to taste

Half lemon

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prep your greens by de-ribbing sturdier greens like chards and kale. Give the larger greens a rough chop- don’t cut too small as they will shrink while cooking. Greens like baby spinach just wash, don’t cut.

2. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add a few tablespoons of olive oil, depending on how much you are sautéing. Add the garlic and sauté for a minute until it’s fragrant and golden brown.

3. Starting with the rougher greens like kale, add them to the pan with a pinch of salt, pepper and red pepper flakes, if using. Allow them to cook down a bit before adding more greens to the pan. Continue adding greens to the pan as they start to wilt, ending with the most tender greens like baby spinach, which will take just a minute to cook.

4. Adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper, as needed. Squeeze half a lemon on the greens to brighten the flavors and serve. If storing the greens see our tip above.