cooksimple.com

I had chicory/escarole (I can’t tell the difference) twice so far in my farm share and neither time had I found a recipe that was anything above barely tolerable. Bitter greens are always easier to cook with if you blanch them first, but I always feel like I’m losing all the nutrients, and hence, the reason you’d eat greens in the first place. I was about to give up all hope and just turn to the Southern style of greens which consists of cooking with bacon, ham, or other pork parts. However, I was reading Wally Lamb’s I Know This Much is True and was inspired.  In it, a character talks about eating lentils and escarole as prepared back in the old country (Sicily). I thought, “I love Italian; I bet this will work.” Of course, there was no recipe in the book, so I had to make it up, to what I think is a pretty tasty concoction.

Ingredients

• 1/2 C French lentils
• 4 C Free range chicken stock
• 4 T olive oil
• 1/4 C chopped onions
• 1/2 C chopped carrots
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 C white wine
• 1 bunch chicory/escarole
• Salt and pepper
• 2 C cooked small pasta (I used orecchiette, but any small pasta would do)
• Grated Italian cheese for garnish (Parmesan, Asiago, etc.)

Directions

In a large frying pan over high heat, warm up some olive oil. Add the onions, celery, and half the carrots. Cook till the onions start to turn translucent. Add half the chicken broth, half the white wine, and all of the lentils. Stir and reduce the heat to medium. Add salt and pepper to taste. This will need to cook till the lentils are tender, which will take anywhere from 30-45 minutes depending on the bean. Let it simmer uncovered adding water if the liquid runs out.

Meanwhile, in another large pan over high heat, heat the rest of the olive oil. Saute the carrots for a few minutes. Then add the chicory and saute for another minute. Salt the greens with a few shakes of the salt shaker. Then add the rest of the chicken broth and white wine to the pan. Turn the heat down to medium-low and allow to simmer until the greens are wilted and tender. This takes about 20-30 minutes. At 20 minutes test the greens. If they still taste bitter, let them cook some more. Add more salt and pepper to taste.

When both the lentils and the greens are done, mix them together. In this way, you’re using the liquid that has many of the healthy nutrients from cooking down the greens. There should still be a little bit of liquid, but not a lot – it should be just a little bit saucy. Mix in the cooked pasta. Serve with a healthy helping of grated cheese.

I adapted this recipe from the British cooking magazine, Olive. It was slated as a low-GI meal.. I just love lentils and really enjoyed how this dish turned out.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup french lentils
• 1 lemon, 1/2 juiced & 1/2 wedges
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 2 skinless salmon fillets
• garam masala
• 1 bunch mint, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Directions

Boil the lentils for 15 minutes until just tender. Drain, then toss with the lemon juice, garlic and some seasoning while still warm.

Meanwhile heat the grill or skillet to high. Sprinkle both sides of salmon with garam masala. Grill for 5 minutes until the top is golden and the salmon is just cooked through.

Mix half the mint with the yogurt and season. Toss the lentils with the rest of the mint and the parsley. Break the salmon into chunks and toss with the lentils. Serve with the mint yogurt and lemon wedges.

Serves: 2