Spring greens medley

This is a clean-out-the-fridge recipe to use during spring, when all the greens you bought have a short lifespan but you went out for dinner two nights in a row. Use all those greens here – peas, snow peas (mangetout), lettuce, asparagus, silverbeet (Swiss chard), baby spinach, watercress, broccoli florets, chopped green beans.

It’s light, clean and a perfect springtime meal. Serve as a side with a baked fish, a roast chicken, a frittata or Green Things Fritters.

Ingredients

• 500g (lb 2oz) of any spring greens
• Thinly sliced lettuce, spinach or silverbeet
• Asparagus cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1/2 diced brown onion
• 1/2 sliced leek or 2-3 scallions
• 3 garlic cloves
• 125ml stock

Method

1. Heat ¼ cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil in a frying pan over low heat, then sauté brown onion, leek or 2–3 sliced spring onions (scallions) for 2–3 minutes, then add the garlic cloves.
2. Add the greens, a generous pinch of salt and ½ cup (125 ml) water, stock or white wine. Simmer gently, covered, for 5–15 minutes, until everything is cooked.
3. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and a good grind of black pepper. Transfer to a serving plate, drizzle with a little more oil and top with any chopped herbs that need using.
4. You could also crumble some goat’s cheese and/or shave some parmesan on top.

Want to know more about the team behind this recipe? Check out the interview with Alex Elliott-Howery on the Telling Our Story podcast.

Images and text from The Food Saver’s A-Z by Alex Elliott-Howery and Jaimee Edwards. Photography by Cath Muscat, illustrations by Mirra Whale. Murdoch Books RRP $49.99.