One-Year Anniversary Greens

It's crazy to think about me starting this blog a year ago today.  A year ago I was attending my graduate program at Antioch University and was taking an independent study on food systems and eating.  I had been a vegan health nut for quite some time, but during my independent study I began to see how disconnected I was to what I was eating.  I already cooked all of my own meals from scratch, but I focused more on nutritional content than taste.  I also didn't eat as much local, seasonal produce.

My hope with this blog was to become reconnected to my food, the seasons, and learn some new recipes along the way. I had no idea that in the self-reflective, humbling process of becoming reconnected to what I eat, I would:

• try over 250 new recipes and post 140 of them
• buy a digital SLR camera (which is worth more than anything else I own!)
• learn to love my body just the way it is
• join my first CSA
• find my true passion in food justice work
• land my dream job of helping to bring healthy, nutritious meals to children and people in need
• become confident enough to be an assistant for PCC Cooks
• and find an amazing community -- online and in-person -- that encouraged and supported me all along the way 

This blog has made me accountable to doing so many important things in my life and I thank each of you for being a part of it.

Now that I'm done being sappy, how do you want to celebrate?

I, of course, want to celebrate with greens.  Kale is one of the most nutritious foods and I love the way that it is prepared in this dish.  If you're not a fan of kale, you can always use collard greens, chard, or a mix.  The garlic and leeks really shine in this recipe and a good dose of freshly ground black pepper ties it all together. 

One-Year Anniversary Greens

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 leek, cleaned and chopped

2 shallots, chopped

1 onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 bunch of leafy greens (kale, chard, collards, or a mix), chopped 

ground black pepper and sea salt to taste

a few tablespoons of water or stock

Heat the oil in a large pan.  Add the onion, shallots, and leeks.  Cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the leeks and onions are soft.

Add the greens, a few handfuls at a time.  Stir them frequently and add more greens as the batch cooks down.  If you're cooking tough greens like collards or kale, I would add some water or vegetable stock a few tablespoons at a time to help it cook down.  

Let them cook for about 20-30 minutes until the greens are soft.  Remove from heat, add salt and pepper to taste and serve.