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Cooking with Fresh Figs Creates Elegant Dishes

If you love your greens, you will love this pot (or pan) of Cooked Greens with Figs because it brings together so many yummy flavors. When tastes that are bitter, sweet, and a little pungent are combined in a dish, it’s going to be more exciting to your tongue!

You can use any of your favorite greens, and they are so easy to make. I started by caramelizing a Vidalia onion, but if you’re in a rush, you could skip this flavor enhancer. I love the unique flavor of collards, but it can take a lot of time to chop enough to fill a pot. So instead, I used about 12 good-sized collard leaves and a pound of baby spinach.

These greens, like most vegetable dishes, are improved by the addition of a little ground cumin and coriander to give them a fuller and more distinctive flavor. And I found that replacing salt with soy sauce took the flavor equation up yet another notch.

Of course, the pièce de resistance of this recipe is the addition of just a few fresh figs. Oh my, what a difference! The figs sweeten an otherwise bitter dish. And even if you enjoy bitter greens by themselves, the addition of figs—plus some chopped nuts at the end—transforms an ordinary side into something quite sublime.

I used chopped pecans, but I’m sure the dish will be just as divine with almonds or walnuts. If you really want to impress your guests, roast your nuts in the oven for several minutes, which deepens their flavor.

Now…if you can just harvest some figs off your tree before the birds have feasted on them. Good luck with that. If you are fortunate, you can also find some fresh figs in your favorite market this time of year.

Enjoy these Cooked Greens with Figs the next time you want to impress your guests, or just because you want to treat yourself to something different and delicious!

Lisa J. Mitchell

Print

COOKED GREENS WITH FIGS

Preparation Time: 45 minutes or less, depending on the greens you choose
Serves: 4

1 Vidalia onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons avocado oil
12 large collard, Swiss chard, or kale leaves, cut into bite-sized pieces
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
¾ teaspoon ground coriander
3 or 4 fresh figs, sliced or minced
1 to 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
2 to 4 cups water
1 pound baby spinach
½ cup pecans, almonds, or walnuts, chopped
1 or more tablespoons Bragg Liquid Aminos or GF tamari

Cooks Tip: 1. If you use all baby spinach, then double the amount of spinach. The dish will be finished in 30 minutes or less. 2.This is the kind of recipe you can adapt by substituting other favorite vegetables. Brussels sprouts or broccoli come to mind, and so does eggplant. 3. For an even bolder flavor, roast the nuts on 350°F for 8 to 12 minutes before adding them to the dish. 4. If you’re short on time, omit the onion and the dish will be done in 15 minutes or less—though the flavor will not be as rich.

1. Heat a large frying pan or large soup pot on medium heat. Add oil to the pan/pot followed by the onion. Sauté the onion until it starts to turn golden, 10 minutes or so. Then, reduce the heat to low and continue to cook another 10 or 15 minutes, until the onion becomes caramelized. Once the onion looks well cooked, add the cumin and coriander, and stir.

2. After you have stirred the ground spices into the onion, add the chopped greens (the collards, chard, or kale). Add sufficient water to cover the greens, increase the heat to medium, and put a lid on the pan/pot. Cook, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes, until the greens are tender.

3. Toward the end of cooking the greens, add the figs to the pan. (It really doesn’t matter what size the pieces of fig are as they will definitely cook down. It’s flavor you’re going for here.)

4. Once these larger greens are cooked, add the baby spinach and the Bragg’s or the tamari. If the water has cooked off, add a little more water now so the spinach can steam. (Use enough water to ensure that the spinach doesn’t burn, but don’t flood the greens.) The spinach will be ready when it’s dark green and tender; this will take about 5 minutes. If necessary, take off the cover and keep the pan on the burner for a few more minutes to cook off any excess liquid.

5. Once all the greens are tender, add the chopped nuts and the grated ginger. Stir well. If you wish, add tamari or more Bragg’s to taste. Serve immediately.

Ayurvedic Note: Five of the six tastes identified in Ayurveda are included in this recipe, which makes this dish good for all doshas. It includes sweet, salty, bitter, pungent, and astringent. If you wish, add a few drops of balsamic vinegar to add the sour taste.

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