Culinary Guides

Down South, no one argues about eating their greens when a pot of mustard greens hits the table. This is a fast, garlicky version that leans on the peppery bite of fresh mustard greens, softened with a splash of stock and finished with a spoon of stone-ground mustard.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 bunches mustard greens, stemmed and chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon stone-ground mustard

Directions

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large straight-sided pan over medium heat, then add the minced garlic.
2. Saute the garlic until softened and fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes, taking care not to let it burn.
3. Add the chopped mustard greens and season with salt and pepper. Saute, tossing often, until they begin to wilt, about 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Pour in the chicken stock, bring to a simmer, then lower the heat and cook about 5 minutes to tenderize the greens.
5. Stir in the stone-ground mustard and cook another 1 to 2 minutes so the flavors meld.
6. Transfer to a dish and serve warm as a side.

If the greens taste too sharp, a splash of apple cider vinegar or a pinch of red pepper flakes balances them, and vegetable stock in place of chicken stock keeps the dish meat-free.

Grower's tip: Mustard greens turn hotter and coarser as they age and as the weather warms. Pick the leaves young and small, about the size of your hand, for a milder bite, and harvest before summer heat pushes the plants to bolt.

These greens are one of the easiest crops to grow at home. A single sowing of mustard green seeds gives you cut-and-come-again leaves for weeks in cool spring and fall weather.