Slow Cooked Greens
Our farmers market has an abundance of hearty greens in the winter, the fabric of their leaves woven together firmly, the color deep and sometimes blueish or purple-ish. I wilt them into soups, shred them into salads, steam them for a simple side, but this slow cooking method really stands out. When cooked slowly in olive oil and water, flavored with garlic and chile flakes, dark leafy greens transform into something rich and velvety. I used collard greens for the photos/video, but other sturdy greens like kale would also work. If you like Southern style collard greens, you’ll definitely like these, the two are very similar.
Slow Cooked Greens
serves 4-6
1/3 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
6-8 garlic cloves, smashed flat and peeled
1/4-1/2 teaspoon chile flakes
2 bunches collard greens, kale, or other hearty greens, stemmed, leaves torn
sea salt
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Add the olive oil, garlic, and chile flakes to a large, cold skillet. Turn the heat to medium. Let the oil heat up and, which will infuse it with the garlic/chile flakes. Once the oil is warm and the garlic is sizzling, add the greens. You might need to add them in batches, letting one batch wilt down, then adding more. Add a generous pinch of salt and 1 cup of water. Cover and bring to a simmer.
Reduce the heat to medium low-low and let gently simmer, covered, for 1-1 1/2 hours, until the greens are collapsed, soft, and velvety. For chard, start checking at 25 minutes. For kale - at 40 minutes. Collard greens usually take a full hour or longer.
Add the vinegar and stir it in. Taste the greens for salt and adjust if needed. Serve warm.
