Pomegranate Greens

2 large or 3 small bunches of greens (kale, collards, Swiss chard, dandelion, carrot or mustard greens) 3-4 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 serrano pepper, thinly sliced 2-3 stalks green onions,

thinly sliced

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 cup pomegranate juice 1 tablespoon ginger purée 1½ teaspoons salt Pomegranate seeds for

garnish

Instructions: Using a sharp knife, remove the center stems of the leaves, especially in the case of kale, dandelion, mustard or collard greens. Discard the bottominch or two if it appears inedible. Thinly slice the remaining stems. Set these aside. Tear the leaves into smaller pieces and set aside separately.

In a large frying pan or wok, heat the olive oil and when it is just shy of smoking, add the cumin seeds. They will pop and sizzle; within 3-4 seconds, add the garlic, serrano, green onion and sliced stems of the greens.

Cook this mixture covered on low heat, stirring frequently for 3-4 minutes, then add the cinnamon, pomegranate juice, ginger and salt. Continue cooking until the mixture is dark green and reduced in size — there should be no visible liquid. Thismay take up to 10-12 minutes.

Add the torn leaves fromthe remaining greens, cover the wok and within 1-2minutes turn the heat off. The leaves should remain bright green. Serve topped with pomegranate seeds.

Notes & variations

• The cumin pop is the most important step in this recipe— if the oil is too hot, the cumin seeds will turn dark brown or black. If this happens, discard the seeds and oil and start again. If the oil is not hot enough, no problem— just wait until the cumin seeds start popping. The whole process goes very fast, so watch it carefully.

• If using a tough variety of kale, cut the leaves into smaller pieces so they all cook at the same time.

• The pomegranate juice adds a sweet balance to some of the bitter greens— if you do not want to use it, replace with heavy cream, coconut milk or just plain water.

Makes 3-4 servings