Italian cooks know how to coax the flavor out of the simplest foods. Dressed with olive oil and lemon juice, cooked greens are particularly welcome with most meat, fish, and cheese-based dishes. You can try this recipe with other types of greens, too, but do remember to adjust the cooking times of the greens.
1 small bunch Swiss chard, cleaned and coarsely chopped (keep the stems and leaves separate)
1 10-ounce bag triple-washed spinach, cleaned and coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Wash greens, but don’t dry them. The water that clings to the leaves helps them to wilt and keeps them from scorching when you cook them. Cut the thin chard stems into 1-inch pieces; discard the thick tough stems. Cook the chard and spinach in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally and adding water, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed, until the leaves are wilted and the stems are tender, about five minutes. Drain and squeeze out any excess moisture; put in a serving bowl. While still warm, drizzle with the lemon juice, oil, salt, and pepper. Serves four.
—Ellie Buford
