Although it’s only been a few weeks, I’m feeling pretty proud of myself for staying on top of both of our CSAs.  A CSA is a great motivator to cook vegetables because the more the veggies pile up, the less room I have for my extensive condiment collection and the really good stuff, like chocolate sauce and enough feta cheese to last me until fall.  (What?  It’s pickled.)

At this time of year, our veggie box is full of leaves, and this recipe is my go-to solution for cooking them down to a manageable size for storage or immediate consumption.  These silky greens are great alone or as a component of another dish (try whole wheat pasta with these greens and basil pesto).

This treatment works well for softer greens, including tender kale, and would also work for briefly simmered collards or tough kale.  I made one batch with rainbow chard this week, pictured below, and a separate batch using beet greens, arugula, and radish tops.  Whatever greens you use, start with a lot; one bunch of greens looks awfully puny after a few minutes in the pan.Sauteed Greens with Garlic: Wash and roughly chop a bunch (or a few bunches) of greens, leaving some water clinging to the leaves.  Heat a swirl of olive oil over medium-high heat and add a few cloves of sliced garlic.  Stir for a minute to release the garlic aroma without letting it brown.  Add the greens in batches as big as your pan can handle, sprinkling each addition lightly with salt and allowing it to wilt a bit to make room for the next batch.  When all the greens have been added, saute until the greens give up their liquid and it has mostly evaporated.  Taste for salt and add more if needed.  I usually stop there, but if you feel like your greens need a little something else, a few drops of vinegar (I like sherry vinegar with greens) will brighten the flavor.