Rockin' Recipes for All Those CSA Greens!

OK, I know it's late in the farm season to begin posting - but so far getting outdoors, digging in the dirt, and picking and eating veggies has taken priority over pecking at the keyboard! While I've got some sundown time tonight, I've got some suggestions for all of you who, like me, are receiving bushels of lovely leafy greens but have no clue what to do with them. I'm indebted to Mariquita Farm's website for a bounty of great recipes for chard, kale, and other CSA staple greens. And, of course, to Fable Farm in Barnard VT for the fabulous produce that goes into my daily experiments in vegerific vittles!

Here's one of my favorite veggie comfort foods, which we enjoyed for supper tonight. I substituted canned butterbeans (which never seem to get too mushy) and kale (which grows very, very well in Vermont and is never in short supply).

Giant Crusty and Creamy White Beans with Greens
Adapted from Super Natural Cooking by Heidi Swanson
½ pound medium or large dried white beans, cooked
3 tablespoons olive oil or clarified butter
Fine grained sea salt
1 onion, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
½ baby chard, washed and roughly chopped, or 1 bunch kale, cut into wide ribbons
Fresh ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
Freshly grated parmesan for topping

Drain the beans, then heat the oil or butter over med-high heat in the widest skillet available. Add the beans to the hot pan in a single layer. If you don’t have a big enough skillet, just do the sauté stop in two batches or save the extra beans for another use. Stir to coat the beans with the oil/butter, then let them sit long enough to brown on one side, about 3 or 4 minutes, before turning to brown the other side, also about 3 or 4 minutes. The beans should be golden and a bit crunchy on the outside and soft and creamy on the inside. Salt to taste, then add the onion and garlic and cook for 1 or 2 minutes, until the onion softens. Stir in the greens and cook until just beginning to wilt. Remove fromteh heat and season to taste with a generous does of salt and pepper. Drizzle with a bit of top-quality extra virgin olive oil, and sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan. Serves 6-8 as a side dish or 2-4 as an entree.