BRAISED WINTER GREENS WITH CHIPOTLE CHILES AND MARKET BACON

"Make this cold-weather side with Swiss chard, collards, beet greens, or a kale, such as dusky cavolo nero, from the Carpenters or the Colemans. Bill Coleman also grows spigarello, an ancient leafing broccoli with no heads, that is delicious in this recipe. Turn this into a main dish by adding 3 or 4 cups of southwestern beans, such as Indian Woman Yellow, cooked with extra chipotles and a couple of smoked tomatoes from Windrose."

2 bunches winter greens, such as kale or spigarello, leaves only, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup water
2 chipotle chiles
6 ounces bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, sliced
Kosher or sea salt
1 cup stock, any kind (page 52 to 54), or 1/2 cup canned diluted with 1/2 cup water

Cook the greens in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, 5 to 10 minutes, and drain.

Bring the water to a boil in a small pot, drop in the chiles, and simmer for 10 minutes to soften (or combine in a bowl and microwave for 4 minutes). Drain, reserving the water. Remove the stem and seeds from the chiles (keep some seeds for a spicier dish), then use scissors to snip into 1/4-inch pieces.

In a large saute pan, fry the bacon over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until moderately crisp, about 5 minutes.

Drain off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the pan, and return the pan with the bacon to medium heat. Add the onion, stir to scrape up any browned bits, and cook, stirring often, until the onion is translucent and soft, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add the garlic and chiles and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more.

Add the greens, season with salt, and saute about 5 minutes.

Reduce the heat to low, pour in the stock and reserved soaking liquid, cover, and simmer gently until the greens are tender and the flavors are blended, 10 to 20 minutes.

Chef's Tip:
Louisiana-born Steven Roberts, chef-owner of Café Boogaloo in Hermosa Beach, uses smoked onions he prepares himself to give extra depth to vegetarian braised collard and mustard greens. To efficiently cut collards or other broad-leaved greens for cooking, Steven stacks the leaves after stripping out the stems, rolls them up into a bundle, and then cuts the bundle crosswise into strips.

Makes 6 to 8 servings
Source: The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook by Amelia Saltsman