BITTER GREENS WITH SWEET ONIONS AND TART CHERRIES
Adapted from "Mollie Katzen's Vegetable Heaven"
Preparation time: 40 minutes (15 minutes of work)
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
This is a great way to get some of those bitter greens into your diet, because the sweet onions and tart cherries balance out the favor. The result is surprisingly smooth.
  • I like to use a mixture of collards, red mustard, arugula, and a little kale. The amount of greens below might seem enormous, but don't forget they will cook way down.
  • Unsweetened sour cherries from a can work beautifully here, but if you have access to fresh sour cherries (and you have a good pitting gadget), by all means use them. o Vidalia onions are terrific, but if you can't find them, just use regular ones.
  • This dish give off a lot of cooking liquid, but it is too pretty and delicious to let evaporate. So just include some with each serving, especially if you are pairing this dish with pasta or rice.
1 cup fresh sour cherries, pitted (or canned unsweetened sour cherries, drained)
2 to 3 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon canola oil
3 cups sliced onion (a sweet variety, like Vidalia, if available)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 large bunches fresh greens, stemmed if necessary, and coarsely chopped (about 12 cups)
1 cup dried sour cherries (optional)
  1. Place the cherries in a small bowl, and sprinkle with sugar. Let sit for about 10 minutes.
  2. Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven. Add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and sauté over high heat for about 5 minutes. Turn the heat to medium, cover, and let the onion cook until very tender (about 10 more minutes).
  3. Begin adding the greens in batches (as much as will fit), sprinkling each addition with about 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir and cover between additions, letting the greens cook down for about 5 minutes each time, to make room for the next batch.
  4. When all the greens are added and have wilted, stir in the cherries and cook for just about 5 minutes longer. Transfer to a platter, and sprinkle the dried cherries on top, if desired. Serve hot or warm, being sure to include some of the delicious cooking juices with each serving.