Mustard greens have a distinctly bitter, spicy taste; eating them cleanses the blood. Sumac, ground from the dried berry-like fruit of the sumac bush, has a sweet, citrusy taste. While the greens are juicy, the spice is dry. So they complement each other in color, taste and texture.
serves 3-4
INgredients
1 bunch mustard greens
a pinch of coarse sea salt
2-3 Tablespoons sumac
3-4 eggs (optional)
Process
If you want to serve these greens with a hard boiled egg (or half), place the eggs in a medium sized pot of water and boil them for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool. Peel the eggs and set aside. Wash the mustard greens well by completely immersing them in water.
Drain. Remove the tough stems and chop the leaves into small strips about an inch wide.
Use a medium to large skillet and fill with one or two inches of water. Add the pinch of coarse sea salt and bring to a boil on a medium flame. When the water is vigorously boiling, add the greens. When they wilt and turn a brighter shade of green, they are done.
Remove them with a wire mesh skimmer or a slotted spoon, allowing the water to drain back into the pan. Arrange them on individual plates.
If serving with hard boiled eggs (or halves), slice the eggs, lengthwise and place on top or around the greens. Sprinkle a generous amount of sumac on the greens (and eggs, if using) on each plate, allowing it to spill onto the plate.
©Nancy Wolfson-Moche 2013
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