This recipe is adapted from a dish that is served at Just a Taste, our favorite Ithaca tapas bar. It is quick, easy, and delicious and will induce anyone to eat their greens and really enjoy them. Use just one kind or a combination of several greens—whatever is freshest in your market or garden.
Serves 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
¼ cup walnuts
1 tomato, diced
8 cups chopped greens (kale, mustard greens, chard, escarole, curly endive, collards, or a mixture)
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
¼ cup crumbled blue cheese
In a large skillet on medium-high heat, brown the butter until it smells nutty. Add the olive oil, garlic, and walnuts. Cook, stirring, until the garlic is golden; do not allow it to burn. Add the tomatoes and greens and stir well so the greens wilt evenly. Season with the salt and pepper and stir again. When the greens are almost completely wilted, sprinkle with vinegar and stir. Cook until all the greens are tender. Depending on the maturity and freshness of your greens, you may need to lower the heat and cook them, covered, to achieve the tenderness you like. Add more salt and/or vinegar to taste.
Serve topped with crumbled blue cheese.
Also delicious topped with the crumbled feta or goat cheese.
Wilted greens are perfect as a starter course followed by a creamy soup, such as Celery or Celeriac Soup Two Ways. You’ll probably want some good crusty bread and a glass of red wine, too. Or serve the greens as a side dish with Sweet Potato Gnocchi.