You just need some simple greens at a pig roast amidst all the heavy dishes.
Sautéed greens from the farm to the frying pan. Jay Jackson Photography
(As if succotash, smoked potato salad, cowboy-up cattle beans, cheddar scallion cornbread, cornmeal crusted fried green tomatoes, and fire & ice watermelon and tomatillo salad wasn’t enough.)
And when those beautiful rich dark greens are grown and harvested by Suzie & Jay Trexler, co- manager’s of Potrero Nuevo Farm, right before cooking – that’s about as fresh and healthy as it gets – that is truly Farm to Table.
Farmers Suzie & Jay Trexler, Jay Jackson Photography
The trick to setting out a dish of vibrant greens is to blanch them first. I toss the greens in boiling salted water for about 2 seconds then shock in a big bowl of ice water. On the pick-up (or when you’re about to serve them) quickly sauté and serve. They will not only keep their color but also their vitamins and minerals. And if you are cooking for a crowd they can be blanched the day before too.
I topped these with some toasted pin nuts, sliced red spring onions, a pinch of chile d’arbol (hot!) and squeeze of lemon.
For more great pics of our Pig Roast check out Jay Jackson’s website.
Dragon Lingerie Succotash & Hot Bacon Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 1 pound swiss or rainbow chard
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
- 1 Meyer lemon
- 1 pinch of ground chile d'arbol (this is VERY hot)
- Sea salt
In a large pot of boiling salted water quickly blanch the greens for 2 seconds and place immediately in a big bowl of ice water. If your pot is big enough, simply take the whole bunch of greens by the stems and dip in the boiling water and then the ice water. Hey, when you're blanching 15 big beautiful bunches – that's the way to go!
When ready to serve, heat a large skillet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sauté greens in batches to reheat. Season with salt, chile d'arbol, pine nuts, and squeeze of lemon. That's it!
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