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Some days, maybe most days, simpler is better.
I had a plan to make this week’s greens into a tart of some sort, or maybe spanakopita, or at least green tartines. But those things take time, and some days I don’t have time. I piled all my greens into a pan to wilt, then chopped and dressed them with olive oil, lemon juice, dill, and a sprinkle of feta cheese. It was better than good enough.
A note about cooking greens (and all greens can be cooking greens, really): I like to mix all the varieties I have together and cook them at once. If you have tougher greens like kale or collards you can add those to the pan first to give them a few minutes’ head start, ending with the most tender greens for just a minute at the end. You can reserve the cooked greens for a later use (that Pound of Greens Frittata is an ongoing favorite of mine) or serve them hot or cold, salad-style, as I did here.
Greens with Lemon, Dill, and Feta: Wash a few bunches of greens and shake or spin some of the water from the leaves. (Today I used beet greens, radish tops, and a bunch of frilly, bitter frisee, but any combination will do.) Heat olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat and add greens in batches, adding a pinch of salt with each addition and stirring to help them wilt. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Remove from heat and drain in strainer, then chop coarsely. Transfer to a bowl and dress with a swirl of olive oil, a freshly-squeezed wedge of lemon, and a pinch of dried dill. Toss well, taste and adjust seasonings, then serve warm or cold, garnished with a chunk of feta cheese crumbled on top.
Emmy Cooks 
I love simple, I love this :) (simple comment)
This sounds like a great way to get more greens in my diet. Do you ever freeze them after the chopping stage?
I have frozen greens in the past and it works fine, but usually I just eat them up!
Reblogged this on A Single Serving and commented:
So many greens do well in cold weather–and can be simple to fix.
That sounds awesome – I love the idea of just eating the inside of Spanokopita and this is reminiscent.
The lemon and dill – fantastic!
Yum. I think I’ll try a little sunflower cheese with mine. And I’m with Annie. The lemon and dill are gorgeous!
Looks so good Emmy! We make a ‘dressing’ to dump on wilted greens that is garlic and lemon pasted together … now I am thinking dill and lemon next time, with salt … YES. The more simple ways to cook greens, the better.
Sounds wonderful! Possibly even better than a tart…
I love simple greens best of all–usually pan-wilted with olive oil and garlic. Feta and lemon sound like a great & simple way to punch it up!
This is the way I like to cook. Grab something from the garden, pair it with simple and fresh ingredients….voila! You would make my Italian grandmother proud!