The bitterer, the betterer
For some of us, it’s an unpleasant phrase, “bitter greens,” conjuring memories of childhood struggles with plates of cooked-to-gray kale or spinach.
But for others of us, it is music to our ears. We’re the folks wearing the “Eat More Kale” T-shirts (eatmorekale.com), ordering braised endive at restaurants, scooping up the dandelion and mustard greens at the farmers market, giving dark green, leafy vegetables plenty of room in our gardens.
It’s not because bitter greens are healthy, which — being high in antioxidants, vitamins and calcium — they are. It’s not because they are trendy, which they also are. It’s because we like the taste.
Unlike mild greens like lettuce, bitter greens are satisfying — they fill you up in a way a plain salad won’t — and they pack a bigger flavor punch.
Greens are also affordable and easy to find; they are widely available in supermarkets and overrun the farmers market and home gardens.
Speaking of which, if you are a timid gardener, try growing bitter greens. They thrive in almost any weather and soil, and the more you pick them the more they grow.
If you are a timid cook, spinach, kale, chard, endive, escarole and the like can make you look like a gourmet chef.
They can be sauteed in minutes but will survive nicely if you accidentally cook them a bit too long. They can be braised, roasted, microwaved, steamed or boiled. Some, like spinach, can be eaten raw.
One of my favorite ways to serve bitter greens — let’s say a pile of kale or chard — is to chop and steam them, drizzle with olive oil, lemon and salt, and serve on top of whole wheat pasta.
Finish the dish with a generous sprinkling of chevre or Asiago cheese and toasted pine nuts.
To serve as a side dish, skip the pasta. For meat lovers, add a generous handful of crispy fried, cubed Italian bacon (pancetta) or diced, thick-cut, maple-cured bacon.
A new book, “Eat Greens,” by Barbara Scott-Goodman and Liz Trovato (2011 Running Press), offers recipes for 26 different green vegetables and herbs, from A (rtichoke) to Z (ucchini).
Here is their recipe for Bitter Greens Pizza, a treat that can be served as a main course for lunch, a light supper or, better yet, as an appetizer with cocktails (I recommend a mix of sweet and dry Vermouth, with a twist of lemon).
You can use homemade or store-bought pizza dough; I think the flavors go especially well with a whole-wheat crust.
Just tell your guests: Eat your greens.
Ÿ Marialisa Calta is the author of “Barbarians at the Plate: Taming and Feeding the American Family” (Perigee, 2005). More at marialisacalta.com.