3851. SAUTEED SPRING GREENS with BACON and MUSTARD SEEDS

Servings: 4


2 ounces thick-cut bacon, finely diced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
1 hot red chile, seeded and finely chopped
1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
1 1/4 pounds mixed young spring greens, such as dandelion, mustard, collards, Tuscan kale and spinach—stems and inner ribs trimmed, leaves cut into ribbons
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

In a large skillet, cook the diced bacon in the olive oil over moderate heat, stirring, until golden, about 3 minutes. Add the shallot, chile and mustard seeds and cook until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the greens, season with salt and pepper and cook, tossing frequently, until wilted and tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and serve.

Make Ahead: The cooked greens can be refrigerated overnight. 


bacon recipe source: Grace Parisi, Food & Wine, June 2013

3173. ROASTED MAITAKE MUSHROOMS with BACON

serves four


2 whole maitake mushrooms, about 4 ounces each

½ bunch mustard greens, cleaned, stems removed and sliced thin
2 cloves chopped garlic
2½ cups roasted chicken stock
¼ cup white wine
3 pieces smoked bacon, diced
1 tablespoon tamari
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt and black pepper to taste

Brown the bacon until crispy, add 2 cups of chicken stock and simmer for 30 minutes; strain out the bacon and skim off the fat, add the Tamari and cider vinegar. Can be made 1 day ahead of time, store in the refrigerator.

Sweat the garlic in the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat, about 1 minute, add the mustard greens and the white wine, cook until almost dry. Add the ½ cup of chicken stock and butter and cook until greens are tender and liquid has cooked out. Keep warm.

Heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat, season the mushrooms with salt and black pepper. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and the olive oil to the pan, sear the mushrooms cut side down until browned turn over and place the pan in a preheated 350° oven for 5-7 minutes or until cooked through.

Reheat broth while mushrooms are in the oven.

Place the cooked greens in the bottom of 4 bowl, add the cooked mushroom and ladle the broth over each mushroom, serve immediately.


bacon recipe courtesy of: St. Francis Winery & Vineyards, 500 Pythian Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95409

3071. GREENS with BACON, MUSHROOMS and BLUE CHEESE

makes eight servings 


4 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1" pieces 
1 small red onion, sliced 1/4" thick 
1/2 pound chanterelles or crimini (baby bella) mushrooms, cut into pieces 
1 garlic clove, finely grated 
1/4 cup red wine vinegar 
2 teaspoons sugar 
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper 
8 ounces hearty greens (such as mustard greens, spinach, or baby kale), torn 
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 8–10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a paper towel–lined plate. Cook onion in same skillet, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, 6–8 minutes, using a slotted spoon, transfer to plate with bacon. Repeat with mushrooms. Remove skillet from heat. Add garlic, vinegar, sugar, and mustard, scraping up browned bits. Whisk in oil; season dressing with salt and pepper. Toss greens, warm dressing, bacon, onion, and mushrooms in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper and top with cheese.

bacon recipe courtesy of: Duane Sorenson, Bon Appétit, October 2013

2581. FLAGEOLETS with AUTUMN GREENS and FRESH BACON

serves six


1/4 pound fresh bacon
2 cups kosher salt mixed with 2 cups sugar
2 cups dried flageolet beans, soaked overnight and drained
1 carrot, halved
1 onion, quartered
1 whole head garlic, halved widthwise
1/4 cup dried apricots, roughly chopped
2 bay leaves
1 dried ancho chile
About 2 tablespoons fino sherry vinegar
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
A few leaves Tuscan kale
A few leaves black kale
A few leaves mustard greens
Good olive oil for drizzling

Pack the fresh bacon in the salt and sugar mixture, cover, and refrigerate for up to 4 hours. Rinse and pat dry, then cut into 1/2-inch cubes.

Combine the bacon, beans, carrot, onion, garlic, apricots, bay leaves, and chile in a pressure cooker and add cold water to come an inch above the beans. Fit the pressure cooker with the lid and raise the temperature to high until it starts to whistle. Reduce to the lowest setting and cook until the beans are creamy and cooked through, roughly 25 minutes. Remove the lid and adjust the seasoning with vinegar, salt, and pepper. Alternately, bring the ingredients to a boil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot and immediately reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook, covered, until the beans are thoroughly cooked through and creamy, roughly 1 3/4 hours. 

Remove the large aromatic vegetables, garlic, chile, and bay leaves from the pot and discard. They've done their flavoring job. Coarsely chop the greens or tear with your hands, then fold them into the beans. Simmer for another 5 minutes, or until the greens are tender.

Serve with warm crusty bread and a healthy dose of olive oil.

bacon recipe courtesy of: Seamus Mullen's Hero Food: How Cooking with Delicious Things Can Make Us Feel Better by Seamus Mullen

2033. SKILLET GREENS with BACON and FETA

serves 1 or 2


1 large bunch cooking greens (kale, beet greens, chard, collards, dandelion, mustard, etc.)
2 ounces of the best, thickest center-cut bacon you can find
2 large cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup chicken stock or water (for long-cooking greens only)
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 ounces feta cheese
salt and pepper

Wash the greens in several changes of water and dry thoroughly. Strip the greens from their stems and tear into large bite-size pieces. If the stems are tender (yes for beets, chard, dandelion, mustard / no for kale and collards), chop them into 1-inch segments.

Start with a skillet that is wide enough to embarrass you at the thought of using it to cook lunch for one. Heat it on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Chop the bacon into 1-inch pieces and add to the heated skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is about 2/3 as crisp as you would like it and has given off plenty of fat.

If you will be cooking your stems, add them to the skillet now, along with the garlic. If not, just add the garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for two minutes.

Add the greens to the skillet and stir (preferably with tongs) to coat all the greens with a bit of bacon fat. For relatively tender greens (all but collards and kale): Cook uncovered until the greens are just shy of desired tenderness. Add the cider vinegar and cook for one minute more. For collards and kale: Cook uncovered for a few minutes, then add the stock or water and cider vinegar. Cover, lower the heat to maintain a simmer, and cook to desired tenderness, probably about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Place the greens in a bowl, crumble the feta cheese overtop, and serve.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Carolyn Cope, "In Defense of Food," Umami Girl, May 18, 2010

1859. WARM SALAD of MUSTARD GREENS, BACON and BLACK-EYED PEAS

yields four servings


2 bacon slices, chopped
12 cups torn mustard greens, stems removed (about 12 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
1 (16-ounce) can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings in pan; set bacon aside. Add greens; cook 4 minutes or until wilted. Combine greens, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl, set aside. Add oil to pan. Stir in onions, caraway seeds, garlic, and jalapeño; cook 1 minute. Add peas; cook 1 minute. Stir in vinegar, and bring to a boil. Add pea mixture to greens mixture. Sprinkle with reserved bacon.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Mariquita Farm, Watsonville, California 95077-2065

1515. STEAMED SAVOY CABBAGE and MUSTARD GREENS with BACON

serves 8


3/4 pound sliced bacon
1 large head Savoy cabbage (about 2 pounds)
2 bunches mustard greens (about 2 1/2 pounds total)
6 large garlic cloves
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Cut bacon into 1/2-inch pieces and in a large heavy skillet cook over moderate heat, stirring, until crisp and golden. With a slotted spoon transfer bacon to paper towels to drain.

Thinly slice cabbage and discard coarse stems from mustard greens. In a large steamer rack set over boiling water steam cabbage, covered, until crisp-tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer cabbage to a large bowl and keep warm, covered. In steamer rack set over boiling water steam mustard greens until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Add mustard greens to cabbage and keep warm, covered.

Mince garlic. In a small saucepan heat garlic, butter, and oil until butter is just melted. Drizzle butter mixture over vegetables, tossing to distribute evenly, and season with salt and pepper.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Gourmet, 1998

1468. YAM and RUSSET POTATO SALAD with GREENS and BACON

serves 6


3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
9 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 pound yams (red-skinned sweet potatoes), peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
6 slices bacon
10 large mustard green leaves, cut into 3/4-inch pieces (about 4 cups)

Whisk first 4 ingredients in small bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in olive oil. Season dressing with salt and pepper.

Steam russets until tender, about 8 minutes. Transfer to large bowl; toss with 1 tablespoon dressing. Steam yams until tender, about 7 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl; toss with 1 tablespoon dressing.

Fry bacon in large skillet until crisp. Transfer to paper towels. Drain. Crumble bacon. Add yams, bacon and mustard greens to russets. Toss salad with enough dressing to coat. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.)


bacon recipe courtesy of: Bon Appétit, July 1996

1467. SPRING GREENS SAUTE with BACON and WALNUTS

makes 4 servings


1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 thick-cut bacon slice, chopped
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 bunch dandelion greens, Swiss chard, or mustard greens (about 12 ounces), tough bottom stems removed, leaves cut into 1-inch pieces (about 8 cups)
2 tablespoons finely grated Gruyère cheese (optional)

Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-low heat. Add bacon; sauté until almost crisp, about 6 minutes. Add walnuts; sauté 1 minute. Add greens and toss until wilted but still bright green, 5 to 7 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl. Sprinkle with cheese, if desired, and serve.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Clifford A. Wright, Bon Appétit, May 2009

1114. MUSTARD GREENS with CORN, LEEKS and BACON

1 pound mustard greens
2 to 4 bacon strips
2 teaspoons bacon drippings
½ cup thinly sliced leeks, white and light green part only
1 cup fresh corn kernels
salt and pepper to taste

Wash the mustard greens and strip or cut leaves from stalks. Discard the stalks. Roughly chop the leaves and set them aside. Broil or fry the bacon until cooked. Drain on paper toweling, cool and crumble. Set aside. Save 2 teaspoons of the fat. Heat a large skillet that has a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat. Add bacon drippings and swirl to coat pan. Add leeks and cook for 4 minutes, until soft and translucent. Reduce heat if necessary to keep leeks from sticking to the pan. Add corn and cook over medium-high heat to brown slightly, about 2 minutes. Add mustard greens, with the water still clinging to the leaves. Stir to coat with the oil, cover, and cook over medium-high heat for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add additional water if necessary to prevent sticking. Season to taste with salt and black pepper and serve hot, garnished with the crumbled bacon


courtesy of: Johnna Albi & Catherine Walthers, Many Hands Organic Farm, 411 Sheldon Road, Barre, Massachusetts, 01005, (978) 355-2853

1054. BROWN-BUTTER CREAMED WINTER GREENS with BACON

makes 6 (side dish) servings


3/4 stick unsalted butter, divided
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons minced shallot
1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
6 black peppercorns
3 1/2 pounds mixed winter greens such as collards, mustard greens, and kale
6 ounces slab bacon, any rind discarded and bacon cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices, then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch sticks (lardons)
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes
1 tablespoon cider vinegar, or to taste

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat, then add flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute.

Add milk in a stream, whisking, then add shallot, bay leaf, and peppercorns and bring to a boil, whisking. Simmer, whisking occasionally, 5 minutes. Strain béchamel sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding solids, and cover surface with parchment paper.

Discard stems and center ribs from greens, then coarsely chop leaves.

Cook lardons in a wide 6- to 8-quart heavy pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden-brown but not crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain, then pour off fat from pot and wipe clean.

Heat remaining 1/2 stick butter in pot over medium-low heat until browned and fragrant, about 2 minutes, then cook onion, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes.

Increase heat to medium-high, then stir in greens, 1 handful at a time, letting each handful wilt before adding next. Add béchamel, cream, garlic, red-pepper flakes, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and boil, uncovered, stirring, until sauce coats greens and greens are tender, about 10 minutes.

Stir in lardons, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste.


courtesy of: John T. Edge, Gourmet, January 2008

779. MUSTARD GREENS with CHIPOTLE and BACON

makes 10 servings


2 3/4 pounds curly mustard greens (2 to 3 bunches), stems and coarse ribs discarded
4 bacon slices, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo
1/2 teaspoon salt

Coarsely chop greens, then cook in 2 batches in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until wilted and tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a large bowl of cold water to stop cooking. Drain greens in a colander, pressing gently to release excess moisture.

Cook bacon in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain, reserving fat in skillet. Add oil, chipotle, greens, and salt to fat and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with bacon.

NOTE: Greens can be boiled 1 day ahead and chilled in a sealed plastic bag.


courtesy of: Gourmet, April 2007

481. MUSTARD GREENS and BACON CROUSTADE

Makes about 48 pieces


Dough:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 pkg. (2 tsps.) rapid-rise or regular active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F)
1 tablespoon olive oil
or store-bought dough can be substituted

Filling:
2 10-oz. pkgs. mustard or other frozen chopped greens, or 2 lbs. fresh young greens
1/2 lb. bacon
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
3 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon. freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
salt if needed
2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal

To make the dough, mix the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Combine water and oil and pour through feed tube with motor running. Process until a ball of dough forms, then continue to process about 45 seconds to "knead" dough. Place in an oiled mixing bowl and turn dough to oil top. Cover lightly and let rise until doubled (30 to 45 minutes with quick-rise yeast and about 1 hour for regular yeast).

Meanwhile, make the filling. Cook the frozen greens according to package directions, then drain well and squeeze to press out moisture. Trim and cook fresh greens in boiling salted water for 5 to 10 minutes until just tender. Drain well, squeeze to press out moisture, then chop. In a large skillet, cook the bacon until golden brown and crisp. Remove, drain, and crumble coarsely, and reserve. Pour off all but 4 tbsps. drippings in skillet. Add onion and saute' over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add garlic and saute' 1 minute. Stir in greens, cream, pepper, and cheese. Taste and add salt if needed. Let mixture cool. (Can be made 1 day ahead and refrigerated. Return to room temperature to use.)

Preheat oven to 500° F. Sprinkle two 10 x 15-inch jelly roll pans or baking sheets with the cornmeal. Punch dough down and divide in half. Roll or stretch each piece to a rough rectangle approximately 9 x 14 inches and place one on each cornmeal-dusted pan. Divide filling over each rectangle, spreading to within 1/4 inch of the sides. Sprinkle each croustade with the reserved crumbled bacon. Bake 12 to 14 minutes, alternating the position of the pans halfway through baking time, until edges are rich golden brown and crisp.

Use a large spatula to remove each croustade from its pan in a single piece. If serving immediately, place on a large wooden board, then use a pizza cutter to cut into about 24 pieces. (If planning to serve later, underbake the croustade by about 3 minutes, remove it from the baking sheet, and place on a rack to cool completely. Replace in the baking pan, cover with foil, and let stand at room temperature up to 4 hours or freeze up to 2 weeks. When ready to serve, reheat in a 400 degrees F oven for about 5 minutes, placing croustade directly on the oven rack.)


courtesy of: Parties! by Melanie Barnard and Brooke Dojny. HarperCollins Publishers, 1992

129. BACON-BRAISED MUSTARD GREENS

Yields four-six servings


2 or 3 bunches of mustard greens (about 3 3/4 pounds total; 16 cups trimmed)
8 ounces thickly sliced lean slab bacon, diced
1 large onion, diced (2 cups)
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon hot red-pepper flakes
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup apple-cider vinegar
1/2 cup chicken stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Rinse greens well. Cut out stems and thick veins; tear leaves into 4- or 5-inch pieces. Cook bacon in a large sauté pan until fat starts to render and bacon begins to brown. Add onion, garlic and pepper flakes and sauté until onion is soft, about 7 minutes. Add sugar, vinegar and chicken stock. Heat to boiling, add greens and cook slowly, stirring often as the greens begin to release their own liquid. Reduce heat and simmer greens until tender, 10 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.


courtesy of: “Green Party,” by Julia Reed. The New York Times Magazine, January 11, 2004, p. 48. Adapted from Donald Link, Herbsaint Restaurant