Ingredients:
1 bunch of chard or kale
sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
3 medium yellow-fleshed potatoes, scrubbed and coarsely diced
3-4 strips of bacon, cut into small pieces. Optional: use 1 teaspoon (or more to taste) smoky paprika in place of the bacon!
2 tablespoons peanut or olive oil
1-2 spring onions, finely diced
2 plump green garlic, finely chopped
good pinch of red pepper flakes
hot pepper sauce or vinegar for the table
Directions:
1. Strip the leaves from the stems and wash the greens. Bring a few quarts of water to a boil. Add salt and the greens and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes for the kale and about 5-6 for the chard. Scoop them into a bowl. Add the potatoes to the cooking water and simmer until tender, about 7-10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until browned. Set aside on a paper towel to drain and discard the fat, wipe out the pan.
3. Return pan to heat, add the oil, and when it’s hot add the onion. Cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.
4. Coarsely chop the cooked greens, add them to the pan with the green garlic and pepper flakes. Addsome of the potato water to the pan as well so that everything cooks in a little moisture, adding more water as needed.
5. When the potatoes are tender, scoop them out and add them to the greens. Add the bacon or, if using instead the smoky paprika, then toss everything together. Taste for salt and season with pepper. You can keep everything distinct or you can mash the potatoes into the greens- it’s messy looking this way, but especially good and comforting. Season with pepper sauce or vinegar.