(Edward Schneider)
Edward makes a compelling argument for having a batch of cooked greens on hand in the fridge, and further argues that they should not be simply steamed or boiled but made “delicious from the start.” I use this kind of thing for pasta once a week, on average. –MB
A container of cooked greens can provide the basis for any number of quick meals. Though it might be tempting to cook them in a neutral way and gussy them up at the last minute, I find that it pays to make them interesting, delicious and complete from the start. For one thing, the flavors become better integrated. And, perhaps more important, they’re more tempting and you’re more likely to use them with pleasure rather than out of a sense of duty.
Here’s what I generally do with, say, a bunch of Swiss chard. I strip the leaves off the stems (unless the stems are extremely fine and tender), cut the stems into one-and-a-half or two inch lengths, wash everything thoroughly and let it drain in a strainer or on a towel — but it should not be bone-dry. In a good couple of tablespoons of olive oil and over medium-low heat, I sweat two cloves of garlic, sliced, and generally a pinch or two of dried hot pepper flakes. Sometimes, I also use an ounce of pancetta or guanciale (or indeed bacon), cutting the olive oil by half — don’t brown it, just cook it through.
Now I add the chard stems and some salt, stir to combine and cover the pan, letting the chard steam in its own juices and whatever water remains on its surface. A couple of minutes later, in go the leaves, roughly chopped, a few sage leaves (optional) and some more salt. Cover again for a little while, until their color changes and they’re limp, adding water by the spoonful if necessary. Now remove the lid and cook until much of the liquid has evaporated. Stems and leaves should both be tender now, but not mushy.
Unless, of course, we eat it right away, this gets packed into a storage container and kept in the fridge; it will hold for four or five days, even longer if you keep your fridge very cold.
I do a number of things with my pre-cooked chard. Our favorite is to eat it with pasta: while you’re boiling some cut pasta, roughly chop some of your cooked chard and reheat it in a skillet. Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and stir to combine (over medium heat), check for seasoning, and finish with any or all of the following: grated Parmesan or pecorino; good olive oil; some cubes of fresh mozzarella; coarse breadcrumbs fried in olive oil or toasted pine nuts (for crunch); some pitted olives; some chopped tomato. The grated cheese and extra olive oil are pretty much de rigueur. The dish may need to be loosened up with some of the pasta water.
Other uses: eating it (hot or tepid) on toasted or grilled bread rubbed with garlic and drizzled with olive oil — this can be a first course or a complete meal; using it as part of the filling for lasagna or cannelloni; making it into a frittata (squeeze it dry for this); adding broth to it for a good quick soup; chopping it finer and making it part of a meatball or meatloaf mixture.
Having it all ready like that removes one barrier to cooking at the end of a long day — and that’s part of the point of these “musts” for the fridge. — Edward Schneider
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