Mixed Greens With Warm Pecan Dressing Food

SOUTHERN GREENS WITH WARM PECAN DRESSING

Steps:

• Wash greens well and tear in large pieces, removing any tough stems or ribs.
• In a small, non-stick skillet, stir together the vinegar, honey and mustard, oil and pecans.
• Cook over medium heat, stirring often, for 2 minutes.
• Pour over greens and serve immediately.

COLLARD GREENS WITH WARM BACON VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Cook 4 chopped bacon slices in a skillet until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon. Add 1/3 cup each apple cider vinegar and chopped dates to the drippings; swirl until warm. Pour over 1 small bunch shredded collard greens; add the bacon and ¼ cup chopped toasted walnuts. Season with salt and pepper and toss.

MIXED GREENS WITH GARLIC, CUMIN AND PAPRIKA

Steps:

• Discard any inedible parts of the greens, such as kale stems and tough ribs. Plunge the leaves into boiling salted water and cook until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain, then chop into small pieces.
• Pound the garlic with 1/2 teaspoon salt in a mortar until you have a rough paste, then work in the parsley and cilantro and pound them briefly to release their flavors. Add the paprika and cumin. (If you do not have a mortar and pestle, chop the garlic with the parsley and cilantro, then add the spices.)
• Warm the oil in a wide skillet over medium heat with the garlicherb mixture. As soon as it releases its flavor, when the oil has heated, add the greens. Cook, stirring frequently, until any extra moisture has evaporated. Taste for salt. Pile into a dish and garnish with the olives, lemon, and tomato wedges.

SALAD OF SPRING MESCLUN, BLOSSOMS, AND WILD GREENS, WITH LOVAGE-ALLIUM DRESSING

Steps:

• Toss greens, herbs, and blossoms together with plenty of snipped chives and lovage leaves. (Tear larger leaves to bite size pieces. A kitchen scissors works well to snip lovage and herbs down to size). Combine dry and liquid dressing ingredients, to taste, in a glass cruet and shake thoroughly before sprinkling over salad greens.

MIXED GREENS WITH WALNUT VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar and mustard. Whisk in the walnut oil, drop by drop. Season the vinaigrette with salt and pepper. If acid is needed, add lemon juice. If more oil needed, add olive oil.
• Tear the greens into large bite-size pieces in a flat bowl. Add the nuts and dill. Just before serving, add only enough dressing to coat lightly when tossed. Toss and serve.

MIXED GREENS WITH DRIED CRANBERRIES AND TOASTED PECANS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Toast the pecans in a shallow pan until they begin to get fragrant, about 5 to 7 minutes. Let cool completely.
• Combine the lettuce, mesclun, and onion in a salad bowl. Just before serving, pour on the dressing and toss well. Check to see if you need to add more dressing; you don't want to make the greens too wet. Serve on individual salad plates with the pecans and the cranberries sprinkled on each portion.
• Place all the ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously.

MIXED GREENS

Steps:

• Wash the greens well, picking them over to remove any brown spots or blemishes. Drain well. Discard the discolored outer leaves and cut out the thick ribs. Tear the greens into pieces. Place the bacon strips in a large heavy saucepan and cook over medium heat until it is translucent and the bottom of the pot is coated with the rendered bacon fat. Add the greens and the water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook until the greens are tender, about 2 hours. Add the seasonings and serve hot.
• Traditionally, greens are accompanied by a hot sauce, chopped onions, and vinegar. In some parts of the South, cooks add a pinch of sugar to the greens to take away a bit of their bite.