A thing to do with leeks and greens

[wshaffer]

mrissa had a post on things people do with food, talking about those things that really seem too simple to be "recipes" but are nevertheless ideas worth sharing about how to make tasty food. This fits the bill. I made it one evening when I was kind of craving spanakopita, but was not at all up to fussing with phyllo dough. I've made it a few times since as a side dish, usually with broiled fish.

You need:
2 bunches of leafy greens or 1 bag of the precut, prewashed stuff. (I've made this with chard and kale. I imagine that mustard greens, collards, or spinach would also work.)
2 medium sized leeks.
As many minced cloves of garlic as taste and your patience for knife work dictate.
A handful or so of crumbled feta cheese.

The trickiest part of this recipe may be finding a pan with a lid that will contain the volume of your uncooked greens. I use a big sauté pan, but if I didn't have that I'd probably use a soup pot.

1. Wash your greens, cut out the tough center ribs of the leaves, and cut or tear the leaves into roughly bite-sized pieces.


2. Cut the tough green leaves off the leeks. Slice the pale green/white parts in half lengthwise, and then slice the halves into half moons maybe a quarter inch thick. Dump the slices into a colander and rinse them well to get the sand out.


3. Heat some butter and olive oil in your pan over medium heat. Add the leeks and sauté until they are soft. If you have the patience, cook them until they start to brown a bit - it's a nice touch, but the dish is still good without it.


4. Add the garlic and stir for a few seconds. Add the greens and put the lid on the pot for a few minutes to help the greens wilt down.


5. Remove the lid, and cook, stirring, until the greens are cooked through. If you're using chard, this will only take a few more minutes. Kale takes longer.


6. Turn off the heat and stir in the feta cheese. Serve.

Goat cheese instead of feta would probably be a nice variation.

Comments

[inflectionpoint.livejournal.com]

yum!