Braised Greens

We got another box of veggies today, this one filled to the brim with some big leafy greens: kale, chard and turnips with the tops on. Last time, I tried to keep some similar items in my fridge for a while, but is just took up so much space, so this time, I decided to cook them right away.

Here is the end result of all those beautiful greens, along with the turnips that were leftover. I'll probably end up pickling them and I'll put a recipe for that as well. Now, I am not from "the South" so this is not going to be an authentic recipe. Also, I am allergic to pork and I didn't have all day to pull this off, as most traditional recipes call for. I was hungry, and it was time for lunch!

Ingredients*

1 onion

2 cloves garlic

1 bunch kale

1 bunch chard

tops from 1 bunch turnips

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 bay leaf

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp each salt & pepper, plus more to taste

Slice the onion and mince the garlic.

Add the oil to a medium to large pot and put on high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic. Stir continuously until the garlic begins to change color to a golden hue, then add the onions, bay leaf, smoked paprika and 1 tsp each salt and pepper. Combine ingredients well and then turn heat down to medium. Stir occasionally.

Make sure greens are free of dirt and grit. This can involve a lot of washing, but luckily the greens I got from Full Belly Farms were very clean. If you are using kale, you want to remove most of the stems, as these can be tough. I figured out today that if you hold the end of the stem with one hand, and then run the knife along it away from you, this is the easiest way to get it done. Don't worry about getting rid of all of the stem, just most of it it from the bottom and middle. Hold all of the leaves together, or as much as you can comfortably manage, and cut them into strips.

When the onions have become translucent and have browned a little, add the balsamic vinegar and the greens. You will have to do this a little at a time as they take up a lot of room and you will have to cook them down before you can add some more. Kale and turnip greens need a bit of cooking, at least 20 minutes or so, but chard only really needs to be wilted. If you want a more "authentic" consistency, you can certainly put a lid on this, turn the heat down and simmer the daylights out of it, but I think it's pretty darn tasty this way.

Since I was using 3 different kinds of greens that would cook at three different rates, I added them to the pot as I went. You can simplify this by sticking with 1 kind of green, but I like having the variety.

* (I know "bunch" is not a precise term, but since this is not baking, this is more about taste than precision. The bunches of kale and chard seemed to be about twice the size you would normally find in the supermarket. I used the tops of 3 large turnips, but these were huge, altogether about half the amount of greens as from one of the bunches of kale or chard. I used smoked paprika to give it that hint of smokiness, since I can't use bacon or ham because of my pork allergy. If you want to use smoked meats instead of smoked paprika, by all means, do so. Simply dice the meat and add them to the hot pan to cook before you add the garlic. If you are using bacon, omit the olive oil.)

I ended up with this huge pot of tasty goodness that I'll be able to enjoy for the next few days.

Paired with a piece of roasted chicken, a steamed ear of corn (from my last Full Belly veggie box!), and a cool mug of iced tea to beat the heat, and I had delicious and nutritious lunch! Bon Appetit!