A Guide to Identifying Greens, from Kale to Collards
Not all greens are created equal. While mustard greens are spicy, swiss chard is mild and versatile. Kale can be charred, tossed in salads, sautéed, or blanched, while turnip greens are best braised. One thing all these leafy greens have in common: They will shrink dramatically when cooked. Budget at least one pound of raw greens for two people.
1/7Spinach
Skip the prepacked bag of bland baby spinach and go for the full-size, dark-green bunch—the flavor is unmatched. Butter, nutmeg, Parmesan, cream, sesame, and bacon are all great complements.
2/7Collard Greens
Southerners love to braise collards with ham for hours, but these hearty leaves are delicious quickly sautéed and also make an amazing slaw (try adding chiles and chopped peanuts).
3/7Kale
Versatile kale can be sautéed, wilted in soups, added to salads, blanched and used for pesto—even charred. Curly kale is easy to find; shop farmers’ markets for other types.
4/7Beet Greens
Sub earthy beet greens for spinach in any recipe. They’re often sandy, so rinse them in several changes of water.
5/7Swiss Chard
Tender enough for wilting, resilient enough for gratins, and mild enough for salads, chard is a workhorse green. Chop the stems and cook them for a few minutes before adding the leaves.
6/7Mustard Greens
They’re spicy enough to get your nose tingling, but the longer they’re cooked, the tamer they become. As with many of the greens here, remove the ribs before cooking.
7/7Turnip Greens
Whenever turnips are sold with their peppery greens, grab them and treat them as they do in Rome: braised slowly, with olive oil and garlic.
