Easy to be Green

I've never been particularly good at "cookin' a big ole mess of greens." I didn't grow up in the south, nor with collards or turnips that had been lovingly cooked by a grandma. So I'm thrilled with all the baby geens coming off of our local farms.   The Produce Place in Sylvan Park had some beautiful arugula and Han Tsai Tai from Bloomsbury Farm that was iresistable. (Eric also insisted I take a package of the fresh pork sausage from Downing Cattle, saying that it had probably been alive just a couple days ago--TMI for sure.)   That next day at the Nasvhille Farmers' Market were bushels of tender baby turnip greens that cost less than $1.50/pound.   Now these I know how to cook. No extensive washing, cutting out the tough ribs or braising for days with a ham hock. Just a last minute "wilt" was all they needed to maintain their texture and tender bite. 

The first night I sauteed up the sausage with some garlic, tossed it with the fresh greens and hot cooked pasta and showered it with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Boom. Dinner. The next night I used some leftover sweet potatoes for a frittata. Topped with the baby greens and cheese this open face omelette is just the ticket for dinner.  Enjoy.

Jill Melton is editor and publisher of Edible Nashville. She's a professional cook and dietitian as well as an experienced writer and editor. You can find more of her recipes at Jill Cooks Here at ediblenashville.com. For more simple fresh recipes using local in-season ingredients, go to ediblenashville.com