Ban the Bitter–Sauté these greens!

I am not a fan of bitter greens.  I think I have particularly acute taste buds, so I usually pick them out of my salads in restaurants.  But I do like the nutritional profile of greens, even the bitter ones.  Kale, collards, chard, dandelion–all are high in potassium, vitamins A & D, and lots more. So I picked up a variety of greens when I was at Lassen’s this week, and tried my hand at softening that bitter taste by sautéing!

And boy, did it work!  This recipe has a variety of greens, but you can use the same method for a single type.  It was a fabulous lunch today!

• 2 lbs organic greens.  I used red chard, kale, dandelion greens, and broccoli rapine (rabe)
• 1/2 cup sliced organic red onion
• 2 cloves organic garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 TBSP organic extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 TBSP red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp red Himalayan salt
• freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, optional
• 1/4 tsp sesame seeds, for garnish

Instructions:

• Wash the greens thoroughly, and shake off excess water
• Roughly chop the greens, and set aside
• Slice the red onion and then cut the slices in half (to make half-circles)
• Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet, and then add the onion, stir fry for about a minute and then add the garlic

• When the onions and garlic are fragrant, add about 1/3 of the greens and stir
• As the greens begin to wilt, the volume will reduce.  Add another third of the greens, and stir
• Add the rest of the greens and stir until wilted, but do not over cook
• Add the salt and pepper, and the red pepper flakes (if desired), and then splash the red wine vinegar over the greens
• Stir to blend flavors, and serve immediately