Almost every week, my farm share includes some greens. In late spring, it was arugula (lovely and peppery). Later, it was sweet mustard greens. Regardless, coming up with ways to utilize greens (they’re so healthy – filled with all those fabulous antioxidants) in ways other than the Southern-style boiled greens with a splash of vinegar, especially when you have a boyfriend who objects to eating “leaves,” is a challenge. Luckily, my farm share offers recipe suggestions in a weekly newsletter, and after some tinkering, I have a few dishes under my belt which both appeal to Eli’s tastes and make use of all those greens.Some basic suggestions for greens: steam them until they’re just tender, and toss with sliced tomato, some grated parmesan, olive oil, salt, and pepper for a tender salad. Cook in chicken or vegetable broth with potatoes and carrots until all are tender, then puree and season for a creamy soup. If greens are sweet, remove stems, chop, and add to lettuce in salad.
The recipe below is my favorite, though, and introduced me to the idea of using wilted greens in a pasta dish. The flavor is both creamy and peppery – nice contrasts – and the greens add a bit of color to what would otherwise be a very white-ish meal. You can use any kind of green – kale, swiss chard, arugula, spinach, mustard. If the stems are thick, simply remove them, and chop coarsely. If the leaves are smaller, just give them a good washing. If, like me, you haven’t cooked much with greens, you’ll be amazed by how the volume shrinks as the heat gets to them. So don’t be overwhelmed by the quantity at first – they’ll reduce in volume by about 75%.
This would also be good with some sweet Italian sausage in lieu of the chicken.
Spaghetti with Chicken, Ricotta, and Greens
1/2 pound spaghetti (or other pasta of your choice)
1 pound chicken, cut into strips or chunks
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
red pepper flakes
3/4 to 1 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan (don’t use the powdery canned type – it won’t yield the same results) plus more for topping
2-3 large handfuls fresh greens, washed, de-stemmed, and coarsely chopped
Place a large pot 2/3 full of water with 1 tablespoon olive oil added to it over high heat, covered, to come to a boil. When the water has reached a full boil, add the pasta and cook according to the packager’s directions. Pour into a colander to drain.
Meanwhile, heat the other 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan or skillet, adding a generous sprinkling of sea salt, some freshly ground black pepper, the minced garlic, and a sprinkling of red pepper flakes (be careful with these if you don’t have experience with them – a little bit goes a long way). When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the chicken, and saute until light brown and crispy. Add the greens, and stir as they wilt until they are limp and have reduced to about 1/4 their original volume. Reduce heat, and stir in the cheeses until they have combined with the juices from the greens and chicken, melting into a creamy sauce. Add seasoning to taste. Toss with the pasta and serve with more parmesan for topping.
Harm, this looks amazing! I will HAVE to try this as soon as this new littlest one lets me eat meat again.
Yum, yum! And I just happen to have some linguine and ricotta…hmm. 🙂
I like your blended soup idea–my husband also dislikes “leaves” and any type of vegetable, so this is the best way to get the healthy stuff in his diet. I’ve found that steamed cauliflower is a great addition or substitute for the potatoes in these creamy soups.
Also, that sounds like a yummy pasta recipe! Since I don’t eat meat, I’ll try substituting chickpeas or a can of Trader Joe’s Italian 3-bean.
Thanks, Harmony!