Recipe: Four Greens with Garlic Saute

Next on the Thanksgiving sides/vegetarian options list is this Four Greens Saute. I love that it layers four different kinds of greens for flavor and texture. This recipe originally was inspired from Neelys for Food Network Magazine, and I’ve adapted it based on the fact I didn’t have turnip greens and yields 6-8 servings. Other than the slicing of the greens though, this is so easy to make. Greens with garlic is classic, and I think is a welcome, simple break from the vegetable dishes with cream and cheese.

You cook the greens at different times because the chard cooks faster- if you substitute other greens, like collard, you will want to do the collard greens as the first greens because they take a longer to get out the bitterness. Tender, young green leaves fresh from your garden will cook faster. I don’t like gritty greens and maybe I’m a bit anal about cleaning, so I soak mine in cold water for a few minutes and do this a few times until there is no dirt at the bottom of the bowl to clean them before cutting, and then maybe again before cooking. F was glad to see I was getting a lot of use of my salad spinner.

There are a few ways to eat this- plain, you can chop up some nuts of your choice for some crunch and add on top, F likes this with hot sauce. I also like this with a poached egg on top.

Now, don’t laugh too much at my photos. I am starting to try to learn and experiment with my camera and in the process, I have these portrait photos of greens… Though I admit, it cracks me up too.

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch mustard greens, cleaned
• 1 bunch dandelion greens, cleaned
• 1 bunch kale, cleaned
• 1 bunch Swiss chard, cleaned
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 1/2 cups broth – I used vegetable broth

Directions:

1. Remove the center stems from all the greens and slice the leaves into 1/2-inch ribbons. Ok, I admit I did not do this with the dandelion greens, but I think if you were using the original turnip greens that makes sense. If you do this while the radio is playing and maybe dance a little, or you talk to your cat, that would be just like what I do, but optional of course.
   
2. Pour the olive oil into a large saute pan and set over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onion and garlic and saute until tender and fragrant. As usual, I like to see some char on mine, but you can just wait for them to be translucent. Season with salt and pepper  liberally.
3. Stir in the ribbons of mustard greens, dandelion greens and kale in batches, adding the next batch as the one prior wilts down. Once those three greens are added to the pot, pour in the broth and cook 15 minutes. Then add the ribbons of Swiss chard and cover with a lid. Let simmer 5 more minutes. Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly- obviously this varies based on the flavor of the broth you use. Spoon the greens into a large serving dish.
   

How would you eat these greens? Plain as a side accompaniment? With hot sauce? With chopped nuts? Or with the poached egg? Ooo, or instead of hot sauce you could throw in some sliced hot cherry peppers for heat! No, I still like the poached egg… why not both?

This is the third of a series of posts of recipes I am going to cover on dishes to consider for Thanksgiving- the other two were the Harvest Quinoa with Apple and Walnuts and the Butternut Squash Lasagna in Béchamel. All the recipes in this series will be vegetarian, so you might consider it for a side dish or if you have a vegetarian at your table like I do, be a way to provide something more hearty than the usual sides of rolls, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, and green beans. Check out my Recipes Index page for other dishes that I have covered in the past.

Summary of the Vegetarian Thanksgiving Sides Series 2013:

• Mashed Brussels Sprouts
• Cauliflower with Brown Butter, Pears, and Hazelnuts recipe
• Four Greens with Garlic Saute
• Harvest Quinoa with Apples and Walnuts recipe
• Butternut Squash Lasagna in Béchamel sauce recipe

Thanks for reading!