Basic Greens

We eat greens almost every night. You can add any spice you like. Sometimes we add a little curry powder. Sometimes some thai paste. Sometimes garlic or onions. But generally we only use salt and oil.

1. Prepare your greens. If they have large, woody ribs, devein the leaves by slicing them out. I now skip that and fold the leaf in half holding the soft part of the leaf with my left hand and pulling up on the stalk with my right. This removes the woody part quickly. You can then slice your greens in 1" sections if you'd like. To do this uniformly, pile up a large stack of leaves and roll them and then slice. I also skip this part and just cook them whole.

2. Wash your greens thoroughly. If they're really dirty (after a rain) I'll soak in a sink and drain and soak again and drain and then spin in a salad spinner. Again, if I'm really in a hurry, I just place the greens in a colander and let them drip a little. The water helps them steam and cook anyway.

3. Turn on the heat in a large skillet. Pour in a circle of oil (about 2 or 3 T). If you're using onions or garlic, be careful not to overheat the pan because you'll burn the garlic quickly. Quickly add the garlic and then the greens. Toss. Salt using a salt grinder and sea salt (1 - 3 turns). Toss. Cook until they're deep green and wilted. Add about 1/2 c water, cover and turn off the heat. They're ready to serve.

If you cook your greens too long they're mushy and not very flavorful.