I love leafy greens. I actually get a little sad at the thought of winter turning into spring. While I welcome the warmer weather, it means the end of local collards, chard, and kale which prefer colder environments. But this means there is at least one silver lining of the colder than normal spring that has been happening along the west coast this year: I can still get beautiful leafy greens in June.
My mom doesn't think she's ever had collard greens before. Sounded like a challenge to me. A recipe in The Kind Diet caught my eye; it's similar to my garlicky kale, but the sweet and nutty twists of raisins and pine nuts. The result? Collard greens that even my mother will eat.
Sicilian Collard Greens
From The Kind Diet
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch collards, well washed, center stem removed, and roughly chopped
3 Tbsp. raisins (I used golden)
2 Tbsp. pine nuts
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Toast pine nuts over medium heat in a dry skillet until golden, about 5 minutes (shake pan to prevent nuts from burning). Set aside.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add collard greens. Stir. Cover and cook 2 minutes.
Add raisins and pine nuts. Stir. Cover and cook 2 minutes. Stir in balsamic. Cover and cook 2 minutes longer.
I have a very similar recipe called spinach alla romana. It uses a squeeze of lemon juice instead of balsamic but has the same garlic/raisin/pine nut combination. I love the sweetness that the raisins bring to the dish. The only challenges are not burning the garlic (a bad habit of mine) and buying enough spinach to feed everyone (since it wilts into a fraction of its former size).
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