Eat Cheap, Eat Well, Eat Up!

Pretty and tasty: Kale's sturdy leaves boast earthy, cabbage-y flavor that's perfect with winter dishes.

My mother never told me to eat my greeens, because she never made them. I’m not sure if she didn’t like greens or just wasn’t sure what to do with them, but spinach, collards, kale, and other hearty cooking greens are something I only came to enjoy as an adult.

And I’d like to join my friend, freelance writer and editor Hillari Dowdle, in her 2009 endeavor to eat more hearty, dark greens. Of course, greens are good for you–they’re rich in a host of vitamins (especially vitamins A and C), minerals (like iron and manganese), and phytonutrients. Even better, hearty greens are at their peak right now, and their earthy flavor is a perfect fit for winter meals.

Select greens that have fresh, crisp, unblemished leaves; they’ll keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. Their leaves tend to trap dirt and grit, so you’ll want to wash them thoroughly. I like to do this in a salad spinner after trimming and chopping the leaves. You also can dunk the leaves several times in a large bowl or sink filled with water; this allows any grit to settle at the bottom. You’ll want to trim away the thick, fibrous stems of tough greens like collards. 

Select greens that have fresh, crisp, unblemished leaves; they’ll keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. 

Sally Schneider has some helpful guidelines for cooking with greens in her book A New Way to Cook:

Tender greens (those with young, small, and supple leaves) can be cooked quickly (i.e., sauteed or briefly boiled) or eaten raw.

Mature greens (those with large, tough leaves) must be cooked. You may want to blanch them (cooked in boiling water for a minute or two) before proceeding with a recipe. Blanching also renders bitter greens less assertive. Mature greens also fare well braised or boiled.

Though you can use most greens interchangeably, their  flavor ranges from mild to spicy. For substitution guidelines, visit The Cook’s Thesaurus  (a site worth bookmarking). Here’s a rundown of a few of my faves:

Beet greens: If you buy a bunch of beets with the leaves still attached, don’t throw those delicious, earthy-tasting leaves away. Instead, simply saute them, much as you would spinach. Yum!

Broccoli rabe has a pungent, bitter quality that Italian cooks adore. A bit of olive oil and salt helps tame the bitterness. Try it steamed, braised, or fried.

The Italians also love bitter chicory, which they boil and serve with a white sauce, or puree with a touch of cream.

I’ve come to love the mild flavor of collard greens, which generally benefit from long braising, though you also could saute them  (see my recipe below).

Kale is a part of the cabbage family, so it (not surprisingly) has a cabbage-y quality. Discard the center stem and treat the curly leaves much the way you would spinach. Frilly-leaved kale is the most common variety, but you’ll find other types (lacinto, for example) at farmers’  markets and gourmet stores.

For a spicy, peppery bite, try mustard greens, which do well braised with bacon. For an even more assertive selection, try turnip greens.

Spinach may well be the most popular variety. Large, mature leaves should be cooked (steamed, boiled, braised), while baby spinach does fine with a quick saute.

This is by no means a complete list. If you visit an ethnic market or farmers’ market, you’ll find many other varieties. Just ask the merchant for tips to cook them.

QUICK COLLARDS

Taking a few moments to thinly slice hearty greens like collards means they’ll cook quickly–ideal if you want to serve this with a weeknight supper. I find it’s easiest to wash the greens in a colander or salad spinner after they’ve been trimmed and sliced. You can treat other greens, like kale, chard, mustard greens, or turnip greens, the same way. This will look like an ungodly amount greens once you have them trimmed and sliced, but it cooks down, much like spinach. 

1 pound fresh collard greens (or other hearty greens)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne or cracked red pepper

1/2 cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth

1. Trim the center ribs from the collard leaves. Stack the leaves and roll them up like a cigar; thinly slice (chiffonade).

2. Heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add oil. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Add a large handful of collards to pan; cook until collards wilt. Repeat with remaining collards until all of them are in the pan. Stir in salt and peppers; sauté 2 minutes. Add broth; cook 3 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates and collards are tender. Yields 4-6 servings.

Resolutions that work, part 1: Fruit of the day

Resolutions that work, part 2: Pay attention to what you eat