A close friend is in the first of a six week diet that excludes meats, grains, dairy, processed sugar, and alcohol. His main sources of protein during this diet are fish, eggs, and legumes. I decided to offer him a few improvisations with some healthy seasonal members of the ‘vegetable’ kingdom to help ease his culinary pain. I found great organic braising mix composed of young Brassica greens, mainly kales and collards, and I decided to improvise a one-skillet dish with them and the organic Chickpeas of Spello from Ayers Creek Farm that I began soaking Saturday afternoon. After the 24-hour soak, I simmered the chickpeas with half an onion, a clove, a bay leaf, a few cloves of garlic, and some black peppercorns until they were just slightly al dente, about 1-3/4 hours. I reserved the chickpea liquor since it is rich in flavor and nutrients, and in the absence of meat stocks, it acts as a good flavor base.
Young Brassica greens braise to a tender state fairly quickly, about 15 to 20 minutes, compared to their more mature relatives, making this a relatively fast preparation - the added benefit is that they will maintain their brilliant green colors. The key here is starting with enough olive oil and on a low enough heat so that the leeks and garlic don’t undergo too much browning, or burn for that matter. (It is here that I normally would add chopped anchovy to give the dish yet anther flavor dimension.) The chickpea liquor adds a richness and mouth feel simply not available from vegetable stock, and it more than makes up for the lack of meat stock. The addition of chile flakes and olive oil also add complexity to the flavor and texture of the finished dish.
Not only is this dish tasty, but it is also healthy with Brassicas, leeks, garlic, chick peas, olive oil, and black pepper on the list of most ‘healthy’ diets. This dish can be used as a light entrée for two to four on its own, or it can be transformed into something more substantial by topping each plate with a poached egg. Not having the same restrictions as my friend, I served it with orecchiette and topped it with grated Pecorino. It would also be excellent over grilled polenta, or topped with a poached egg and served over creamy white polenta. It would also make an excellent accompaniment to a bowl of steamed brown rice.
Young Brassica Greens Braised With Leeks and Chickpeas
Serves 2 to 4
- 3/4 pound braising mix of young Brassica greens (stick with collards and kales, and avoid red kale and mustard greens), coarsely chopped
- 1 medium leek, split lengthwise and thinly sliced up to and including the light green portion
- 6 cloves garlic, grated with coarse micro-plane
- 1-1/2 cup cooked chick peas – do not use canned chick peas
- 1-1/2 cup chick pea cooking liquid - do not use liquid from canned chick peas
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt
- Black pepper corns, freshly ground
- 1-1/2 teaspoon mild to medium red chile flakes, preferably Aleppo, Marash, or Espelette
- Salt-cured anchovies packed in olive oil, finely chopped (optional)
- Vegetable stock (optional)
- Fresh pastured chicken eggs, poached (optional)
- Add 1/3 cup of olive oil to a skillet on medium heat. Add the chopped leeks, cook until the leeks have begun to wilt, then add the garlic, turn the heat down a bit and continue to cook.
- At the first hints of browning add the chopped greens, drizzle with more oil, season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Add ½ cup of the chickpea liquor and allow the greens to slowly braise, stirring every now and then.
- After about 10 minutes, or if the pan begins to dry, add another ½ cup of chickpea liquor and the chickpeas, stir and cook for another 7 to 10 minutes.
- Add the remaining chickpea liquor, the red chile flakes, and a touch more olive oil, stir, cook for a minute or so and serve.
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