Winter Greens

By Lori Powell
For One or Two Bites, a blog for singles and couples

While waiting for spring to arrive, I start yearning for more veggies and everything green. Swiss chard, collard greens, kale and spinach are my go-to greens.

All of the four are packed with tons of flavor and nutrients. They ranked in the top six vegetables with the highest nutrient content in a comparison of nearly 85 vegetables by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. These greens are loaded with vitamin K and lutein and contain calcium, fiber, folate and vitamin C.

There are many varieties of Swiss chard, such as rainbow and green chard. Kale varieties include lacinato (also known as dinosaur kale), curly and red Russian.

A fun fact is that winter greens actually get sweeter as the weather gets colder. So the time to buy and eat these power-packed leaves is now.

To make cooking these green even easier, Earthbound Farms has variety packs of organic greens, such as Power Greens (baby spinach, baby red and green chards and baby kales) or baby kales that are pre-washed and pre-stemmed.

Prep tips:

• To remove the tough ribs from kale, collard greens and Swiss chard some people cut out the tough ribs. I find the following technique to be quicker: simply hold the stem end and with two fingers, pull down toward the leaf end to tear the leaf from the stem.
• For a quick slice or to ribbon, simply roll up the leaves lengthwise into cylinders and slice crosswise. This is technically called a chiffonade.
• The more tender ribs of Swiss chard can be diced and cooked but the tougher large leaves of collard and kale (not the baby ones) should be discarded or used to flavor a stock or broth, and then strained.
• To wash, submerge chopped or baby leaves in a bowl of cold water, allowing dirt to settle on the bottom. Lift out leaves and spin dry in a salad spinner before sautéing.

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Sautéed Winter Greens with Raisins and Pine Nuts
Serves 1 as a main dish or 2 to 4 as a side

2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, divided
1/4 cup finely chopped shallot or small onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup chopped Swiss chard, tough ribs removed
1 cup baby kale leaves or coarsely chopped large kale or collard greens, tough ribs removed
1 cup baby spinach
1/4 cup raisins
1 tablespoon red wine or sherry wine vinegar (optional)
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts or sliced almonds
1/8 cup Parmesan cheese shavings

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large, seasoned cast iron skillet over medium heat and cook shallots until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
2. Add Swiss chard leaves and baby kale in batches, stirring until wilted and almost tender, about 5 minutes (I like mine with a bit of bite/chew so cook a bit longer, covered, for more tender leaves).
3. Stir in spinach, raisins and vinegar, if using, and cook just until spinach is wilted and all leaves are tender, 1 to 2 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Immediately transfer to a serving bowl and drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon of oil if desired. Sprinkle with pine nuts and Parmesan.

Serving Suggestions:

• Serve over cooked couscous, bulgur or quinoa
• Toss with cooked whole wheat pasta and add some chicken broth to make it a bit saucier.

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