Blanched Greens Recipes

BLANCHED-AND-SQUEEZED GREENS

Steps:

• Working in batches, cook greens in a large pot of boiling heavily salted water just until wilted and bright green, about 20 seconds. Using tongs or a sieve, transfer greens to a colander set in a large bowl of ice water and let cool.
• Lift colander from ice water and drain greens well. Using your hands, squeeze out as much excess water as you can. Transfer to a cutting board and coarsely chop. Mold greens into small compact balls (about 1 oz. each), then squeeze out as much water as possible again (this will prevent ice crystals from forming on frozen greens).
• Place balls on a small parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a resealable plastic bag and close, squeezing out as much air as possible. Return to freezer.
• Do Ahead: Greens can be blanched 2 months ahead. Keep frozen.

BLANCHED GREENS

Steps:

• Remove leaves from stems. (Swiss chard stems are edible, so save and cook them) Blanch greens in a large pot of boiling salted water, 15 seconds (spinach and chard) to 2 minutes (kale and collards); drain. When cool enough to handle, squeeze out excess liquid; let cool completely in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Greens can be stored in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 4 days.

BLANCHED ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Prepare 1 1/2 pounds medium-thick asparagus (see Rinse and Snap). Have a large bowl of ice water ready. In a large saucepan, bring 8 cups water to a boil. Season with 2 tablespoons coarse salt, and add asparagus; boil until tender, 3 to 4 minutes (depending on thickness).
• Remove with tongs, or drain in a colander, and immediately transfer to ice water for 1 minute to stop the cooking process. Drain; refrigerate until completely chilled.

SIMPLE AND DELICIOUS BEET GREENS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the beet greens, and cook uncovered until tender, about 2 minutes. Drain in a colander, then immediately immerse in ice water for several minutes until cold to stop the cooking process. Once the greens are cold, drain well, and coarsely chop.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes; cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the greens until oil and garlic is evenly distributed. Season with salt and pepper. Cook just until greens are hot; serve with lemon wedges.

BUTTER-BLANCHED MUSTARD GREENS WITH MUSTARD OIL

Steps:

• Cut mustard green leaves into quarter-inch strips.
• In a large pot, bring 6 cups water to a boil, add butter and salt. When it returns to a boil, add greens. Stir until wilted and tender, about 4 minutes. Drain well, and transfer to a serving dish. Mix in mustard oil, and salt and pepper to taste.