Photograph by Jamie Dedes

“When I write of hunger, I am really writing about love and the hunger for it, and warmth and the love of it and it is all one.” M.F. K. Fisher

Greens. Good and garlicy. I love them. And they are the best thing in the world for what ails you. They not only taste good. They are good. Loaded with calcium, fiber, vitamin C,  folate, magnesium, and beta carotene. Add some beans and you have a satisfying meal and a nutiritional powerhouse. They are good for your eyes too and can help defend against cataracts and macular degeneration. I will go for cataract surgery tomorrow. However, I’m sure one of the reasons that I have been able to avoid surgery for so long – despite almost ten years on high-doses of prescribed corticosteroids used to manage Interstitial Lung Disease – is because I do eat lots and lots of greens. Among other things, greens are budget wise.

This dish is made with baby greens, which gives it a texture more like spinach as opposed to collard greens, which are firmer and remain more substantial when cooked. I buy mixed salad-greens because that saves preparation time and the assortment of colors and types of greens means the final dish will offer a range of nutirients and minerals. This dish is not as sweet as spinach or as bitter as escarole.

As with all recipes on this site, this dish is wheat-and-gluten free for those with Celiac Disease or wheat-and-gluten sensivity. In this case, the dish is naturally gluten-free, generally the case when you shop the outer perimeter of the store where everthing is fresh and unadulterated . . .  and reasonably priced. You don’t pay for packaging there, just food and the labor that went into growing, transporting, and displaying it.

Gluten-free Baby Greens and Lima Beans, Verdi e fagioli de lima

The recipe:

Serves four 

1/4 cup Avocado oil

1 small yellow onion, cut in half and slivered

3 cloves of garlic, peeled and slivered

16-ounces of fresh, mixed salad greens, washed, not dried

1 8-ounce jar of lima beans

Sea salt and cracked black pepper to teste

In a pan big enough to hold the greens, brown the onions and garlic in the avocado oil.  When the onions begin to brown and before the garlic burns, add the greens.  Cover and lower heat to a simmer.  This process will take less than ten minutes.  Periodically check the greens and stir, adding a little water if the mixture seems dry.  When they have cooked down and are tender add the beans, salt, and pepper and mix well, heating through so the beans are warmed.  Serve hot or at room temperature.