Greens aux Gratin

This is a great way to use up any greens – kale, spinach, radish or turnip greens, whatever. It’s also a way to get rid of excess cheese you may have lying around.

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

 Sautee the greens (destemmed if using kale) in oil or butter over high heat with a little chopped onion or garlic. Cook until just wilted – 2 or 3 minutes. Set aside.

 Make a roux over medium heat, using 3 T butter and 3 T flour. Wisk in 1 cup of milk and stir until thickened.

 In a shallow baking pan, layer greens, roux and any cheese – we like a mixture of Monterrey Jack and a hard, salty Italian cheese. A little blue cheese is also great in there. Some thin slices of buttered wheat bread on top will add a nice crunch.

 Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until browned and bubbly.

Warm Greens Salad

Spinach (or other greens)
Tomatoes
Grain of some sort
Onion
Peppers
Hot peppers (if you like)
Whatever else you want to add....
CHEESE. 

Cook your grain of choice. Saute onions, peppers, tomatoes and any other veggies you are adding. 

Prepare a pile of spinach (or other greens) on your plate. Add sauteed vegetables. Then add cheese of your choosing— we’re really into feta, but really anything will do. 

Optional: prepare a simple dressing to go on top. Or just enjoy with salt and pepper and other fresh herbs- thyme, oregano, sage... it’s so versatile and delicious! 

Beet Risotto

5-6 cups vegetable stock
3 tbs butter or olive oil
1 onion, diced
1.5 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
chopped parsley
chopped basil
2-3 medium beets, peeled and grated (about 2 cups)
2-3 cups greens, finely chopped
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

Heat the stock until simmering. Heat the butter/olive oil in a big, wide pot. Add the onion and cook over medium heat for about three minutes, stirring frequently. Add the rice, stir to coat cook, stirring constantly for one minute. Stir in the wine until it’s absorbed, then stir in the basil, a few tbs of parsley, the beets, and the greens. Add two cups stock, stir, and cover with a lid until stock is absorbed. Begin adding the remaining stock ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly until each addition is absorbed before adding the next. When the risotto is nearly done, season with salt and pepper to taste, then add the lemon juice and zest. Remove form the heat and stir in parmesan.

Braised Greens

1 bunch braising greens (or any greens) 

1 T. butter or olive oil
A few thinly sliced onions
2 cloves garlic, chopped 

1 cup stock, wine, or other liquid
2 T. Vinegar 

Place the butter or oil in a heavy skillet with a tight fitting lid and heat over medium heat. 

Add onions and cook for 5 minutes or so until slightly softened. Add garlic and cook for additional 2 minutes. 

Add greens to the pan and pour over the stock/wine/liquid. Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 20 minutes or so. Make sure the pan doesn’t boil dry. Add more liquid if necessary. Greens are ready when they are completely tender. 

Add vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, stir once and remove the greens to serve. 

If you want, you can then cook the remaining liquid down to a glaze consistency to drizzle back over the greens.