Harmony for the table, in a key most verdant
Unlike the greens of summer -- crisp and sudden and cool to the touch -- the greens that accompany a Thanksgiving dinner are about duration. These are of a darker spectrum, the bitter greens and patient vegetables that have been built to last, through both the shorter autumn days and the long run of the holiday itself.
Kale and collards, mustard greens and chard and Brussels sprouts: These are vegetables with a hardy temperament, suited to slow cooking and strong flavors. This makes them a particularly good match to a day like this one, measured out in hours rather than minutes, in long oven roasts and endless football games.
Though greenery might seem an afterthought to a menu that traditionally showcases the turkey’s bronzed flourish and the happy ceremony of pies, it provides a necessary balance -- of color, of temperament, of technique. Amid the litany of dishes, of bird and bread and the beautiful underground world of root vegetables, you need the reprieve of a simple bowl of minted lima beans or sauteed broccoli rape.
Winter greens are filling the farmers markets now, and they have a heft and fortitude that can stand up to the rest of the menu.
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Low, deep flavor
GIVEN a quick wilt or an easy saute, you can serve savoy cabbage or cavalo nero (or other kales) pretty much on their own. Just hit them with a few minutes in a pan, then splashes of great walnut or olive oil and balsamic or sherry vinegar.
Winter greens are also sturdy enough for a long braise, developing a low, deep flavor without losing their essential nature.
Brussels sprouts, green beans or limas bring a certain poise to the Thanksgiving table. After the burnishing hours of a turkey, the careful art of pastry, the knead and rise of bread, a colander of sprouts or green beans needs only a quick boil or saute.
You can even blanch green vegetables ahead of time -- an hour, even a day or two before you need them -- then pull them out of the refrigerator and finish them right before the meal.
Blanch Brussels sprouts, then, just before the meal, give them a quick saute and lace them with bacon and shallots and a lovely sauce of deglazed red wine vinegar.
Fresh lima beans -- which should just be hitting the market stalls -- can also be cooked beforehand, then tossed with a little butter or caramelized shallots and a cool chiffonade of mint.
Consider the green part of the Thanksgiving spectrum as you would the color wheel itself.
A few clicks north of the menu’s bronze fields, urging toward the cooler latitudes, a nice respite before the antipodal reds -- maybe a cranberry tart for dessert -- and the conclusion of a most happy meal.
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Braised kale
Total time: About 50 minutes
Servings: 8
Note: This recipe works well with regular (curly) kale, Lacinato (dinosaur) kale or Tuscan kale.
4 bunches kale
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
Coarse sea salt
Hot pepper flakes to taste
1 cup turkey stock or chicken broth or water
Truffle oil to taste (optional)
1. Using a sharp knife or scissors, cut the stem out of each of the kale leaves. Wash the leaves well and spin dry. Stack them and cut crosswise into one-half-inch strips.
2. Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet that has a lid over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and sprinkle with about a teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring, until the garlic softens, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the kale a large handful at a time, stirring constantly until the leaves wilt before adding more. When all the leaves are in the pan, cook, stirring constantly for 2 to 3 minutes. Add a sprinkling of pepper flakes and the stock or water, stir well and reduce the heat to low. Cover the pan and cook the kale, stirring occasionally, until it is cooked, 20 to 25 minutes if you like it chewy, longer for very soft. (The dish can be made up to several hours ahead to this point.)
3. Uncover the pan and raise the heat to cook away most of the liquid remaining in the pan. Taste and add more salt if needed. Drizzle with truffle oil, if desired, and serve.
Each serving: 84 calories; 3 grams protein; 8 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 6 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 mg. cholesterol; 114 mg. sodium.
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Lima beans with mint
Total time: 20 minutes
Servings: 6
Note: From Betty Hallock. You may substitute 2 1/2 cups frozen limas for the fresh ones. For frozen beans, allow 1 to 2 minutes additional simmering time. Make a bouquet garni by tying together 1 bay leaf, 1 sprig thyme and 3 sprigs parsley with kitchen string.
1 1/2 pounds fresh lima beans in the shell (about 2 1/2 cups small shelled beans)
1 bouquet garni
1 1/2 tablespoons minced shallot
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon chopped chives
3 1/2 tablespoons mint cut into chiffonade (leaves cut crosswise into thin strips)
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
Fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Best-quality olive oil
1. Shell the beans. Add the bouquet garni to about 6 cups water in a 2-quart sauce pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a strong simmer and add the lima beans. Maintain a simmer and cook the beans until just tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the beans immediately to an ice bath and drain when chilled. Reserve.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the minced shallot in the butter until it begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the lima beans to warm.
3. When the lima beans are warmed, add the chives, mint, lemon zest, three-fourths teaspoon salt, one-fourth teaspoon pepper and 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil, or to taste. Serve immediately.
Each serving: 103 calories; 5 grams protein; 14 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber; 4 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 5 mg. cholesterol; 297 mg. sodium.
