The serving of young greens has been a springtime and Christian tradition for centuries. Often bitter greens are used, a mix of farmed seasonal greens and wild greens such as dandelion, ramsons, nettles, cleavers and garlic mustard. Here the tradition is updated with Italian flavours to make an interesting accompaniment for the Easter main meal. You can just use farmed greens (kale, cabbage, bitter lettuce, sprouting broccoli, beet tops etc) and the good thing is that you can vary the blend of wild/farmed greens as spring advances and crops change.
Prep time 10 minutes/Cook time 15 minutes/Serves 6
Ingredients:
50g (1 ¾ oz) unsalted butter
6 anchovy fillets
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
500g (1 lb) spring greens, washed and shredded
1 lemon, juiced
50g (1 ¾ oz) finely-grated parmesan cheese
30g (1 oz) hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
Method:
Melt the butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Once bubbling, add the anchovies and cook for 2 mins until they melt away. Stir in the garlic, fry for 1 min more, then toss in the greens and cook for 8 minutes, until wilted.
Add the lemon juice and parmesan and stir well to melt the cheese. Season to taste, transfer to a serving bowl and scatter over the hazelnuts.
