Wylie’s Greens

We eat a lot of greens in our house, and they’re the best when our son, Wylie, makes them, as he takes special care with them. First he sweats shallots and garlic in olive oil, then he sautés chopped stems from the greens till tender, then adds the toughest greens, followed by the more tender greens, and finally adding in a little chicken stock (you can use vegetable stock or water to make it vegan), along with a dash of vinegar and red pepper. They’re really beautiful, with the stems looking like confetti on top (rainbow chard stems are especially pretty) and adding texture.

This is a very adaptable recipe (more of a method than a recipe); use whatever greens you have or look good, and taste as you go along to determine when the greens are as tender as you’d like. If you don’t have shallots but you have garlic, just use the garlic, and vice-versa. The batch photographed here was made from greens picked up in a harvest box from a local non-profit educational organic garden in Dallas — La Bajada POP Farm, part of Promise of Peace Gardens. Our box included two kinds of kale, plus rainbow chard and some daikon greens. We used a pound, but you can use more or less, depending on what you have; if so, you might want to add a little more or less oil or liquid at the end, but even if you keep the same amounts listed here, it’ll probably be just fine.

The instructions may look long and involved, but it’s actually very easy; we’re just being super specific to account for different types of greens. Do it once, and you’ll be able to do it again in your sleep.

Serves 4.

Ingredients

1 pound greens: kale, collards, mustard greens, chard, spinach, beet greens, turnip greens or any combination

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 shallots, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chicken broth or vegetable broth (or water)

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar, sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar, or more to taste

A pinch of Aleppo pepper or other red pepper flakes, or a dash of hot sauce

Instructions

1. Wash the greens well (keeping an eye out for tiny bugs, if they come from an organic garden) and dry them. Use a small, sharp knife to cut out (and reserve) the stems of any greens with thick stems (such as kale, collards and chard). If you have different types of stems, keep them separate, as some are tougher than others and require longer cooking. Slice the stems into small (about 1/4 inch) pieces and set aside. Cut or tear the leaves into manageable pieces, no bigger than about 3 inches. Set aside.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet or frying pan over medium heat until it starts to shimmer. Add the shallot, lower heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is soft (don’t let it brown), about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

3. Add the toughest stems and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are tender; the time will depend on the greens, but will be anywhere from a minute or two for very tender ones to five or six minutes for tougher ones. If you have another kind of stems that are more tender, such as chard, add them after two or three minutes.

4. When the stems are all tender, add the toughest greens — such as kale and collards, and use tongs to toss them with the stem mixture and oil; turn the heat to medium. If there are too many greens for the pan, add them a handful or two at a time, and cook them — tossing with the tongs — until they wilt, then add more. Once they’re all wilted and there’s room in the pan, add any medium-tough greens, such as mustard greens, radish greens and turnip greens and toss with the tongs to combine. Cook until they are wilted, then add any more tender greens, such as spinach, chard or beet greens. Sprinkle with the salt, and toss with the tongs till they’re wilted.

5. Add the broth (or water), tossing to combine, and let them cook another minute or three, until the greens are as tender as you like. Remove from heat, add the vinegar and Aleppo pepper or hot sauce. Toss, taste, and adjust seasoning, adding more salt, vinegar, pepper flakes or hot sauce as desired.

6. Use the tongs to transfer the greens to a serving bowl; some of the stems will probably have fallen to the bottom; add these to the top of the greens, and pour on any juices collected in the pan. Serve immediately.