Greens and beans (Provided photo — Yvona Fast)

May is the time for fresh spring greens like dandelions, ramps, spinach, arugula, chard and more. The damp, rainy, cool weather that brought in May this year is a good time for soup.

Soup made with greens and beans has been an Italian tradition since Roman times. It comes in many variations: a soup, a thick stew or even a pasta dish. It can be vegan, vegetarian or include meat (usually sausage or ham, but you could also use chicken or beef). Italians top the soup with a generous sprinkling of shredded Parmesan or Romano cheese, and serve it with a fresh, crusty loaf of bread. Sometimes pancetta or Italian sausage is used; without it, it’s a great vegetarian dish. A thicker version of sauteed greens with beans and tomatoes is often served over pasta.

Beans and greens are also an icon of Southern American cuisine. There, they are served with cornbread and pickles. In the old days, the dish simmered for hours in a big cast iron pot on top of a wood stove; today, most use an electric crockpot. This popular dish consists of brown or white cooked beans served alongside a ‘mess’ of turnip, collard or kale greens. The traditional southern way is to simmer the greens for an hour or so with ham hocks in a big pot. They will be meltingly tender and silky in texture. The resulting dense, dark-green, nutritious pot-likker is served with cooked beans and sopped up with cornbread.

All greens are an excellent source of fiber and the antioxidant vitamins A, C and E, as well as folic acid and B6. These vitamins work together to limit the clumping of blood platelets, maintain low levels of homocysteine and keep Low-Density Lipoprotein cholesterol (or “bad” cholesterol) in check. They are important in the fight against atherosclerosis.

Some greens, like turnips, kale, collards and cabbage, are members of the cancer-fighting Cruciferae family. These nutritious greens provide fiber along with important antioxidants, vitamins C, E and beta-carotene, which promote colon health and protect against colon cancer. And they’re rich in bone-building calcium as well as magnesium, copper and manganese.

According to a study by the Chicago Health and Aging Project, published in the journal Neurology, consuming large amounts of cruciferous leafy greens (like turnips, collards or kale) was shown to slow mental decline associated with aging by 40%.

Beans and Greens can be made with any greens you have around: tender spinach, arugula, beets, chard, dandelion, radish or turnip tops, kale or collards, any type of cabbage, sweet and mild carrot tops. While tougher than tender greens like spinach and chard, the green leaves of turnips and radishes are smaller and sweeter than those of collards and kale. Sweet, tender, young greens become bitter and grow tougher as the plant matures. Dandelion greens become bitter after the flowers bloom. In collards and kale, the tough stem and midrib should be removed, and the strong, pungent flavor of the large, mature leaves can be reduced by boiling them and draining the water. Greens cooked in this way can be substituted for spinach in most recipes.

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Variable Greens and Beans

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Ingredients:

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1 Tablespoon cooking oil

1 onion

2 cloves of garlic

Optional soup ingredients (but they make the soup better) — 1 or 2 carrots, sliced; 1 or 2 stalks of celery, sliced

1/4 to 1/2 pound breakfast sausage or diced cooked ham, optional

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes or freshly ground black pepper

1 large bunch fresh greens (like chard, dandelion, turnip, etc.)

1/2 cup broth or water

1 15-oz. can beans (such as cannellini or garbanzo)

1 to 2 teaspoons Balsamic or cider vinegar

1 quart broth (chicken, vegetable or beef)

Salt and pepper

Shredded cheese, for garnish (optional)

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Directions:

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Heat oil in large, deep kettle over medium heat. Add garlic, onion and pepper flakes and sausage if using. Add optional soup ingredients. Cook 5 to 10 minutes.

If using Swiss chard, separate the stems from the leaves. Wash and slice the stems. Add to the skillet.

Wash the greens thoroughly in several changes of water. For large leaves like kale or chard, slice the greens by stacking 5 or 6 leaves and slicing crosswise into 1-inch strips. Smaller greens, like dandelion or spinach, can be added as is. Add to the skillet, along with a little broth or water. Cover and cook for a few minutes until tender — this will depend on the type of greens. Remove the lid, and add one can of beans, drained and rinsed and 1 quart broth (chicken or vegetable) to make a soup.

Taste, and season with salt, pepper and a splash of Balsamic vinegar. To serve overcooked pasta, omit the broth and cook, stirring, to evaporate excess liquid and heat the beans through.

Top with shredded sharp cheese, if you like.

Vary this by using other kinds of beans and/or greens — remember that tougher greens, like collards or kale, need to cook a bit longer, so add a little broth after sauting them for 2 to 3 minutes, then cover and cook until tender.

Add a Greek touch by garnishing with crumbled feta cheese and sliced olives towards the end. Add sliced tomatoes for extra color.

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Greens and Sausage Skillet

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Ingredients:

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1/2 pound breakfast sausage

1 onion

1 clove garlic

4 ounces sliced mushrooms (optional)

1 pound fresh greens

1 cup diced tomatoes

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Directions:

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In a skillet, cook sausage to brown. Add onion, garlic and mushrooms to drippings, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the greens, cover and cook about 15 minutes, until tender. Stir in tomatoes and beaten egg; cook, stirring, until heated through. Serve over pasta, rice or potatoes.

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Pasta Beans and Greens

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Ingredients:

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1/2 pound ziti, penne or other tubular pasta

1 Tablespoon neutral cooking oil, like grapeseed or avocado

1 large onion, peeled and diced

2 or 3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

4 cups washed greens (like dandelion, chard, turnip)

1 15.5 oz. can butter beans

1 small can diced tomatoes with juice

1 teaspoon basil

1 teaspoon marjoram

1 cup finely chopped ham (optional)

1 cup grated mild cheese

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Directions:

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Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the oil. Add onions, and cook for a couple of minutes. Add garlic and dandelion greens and cook another three to four minutes, till greens are wilted. Drain and rinse the beans, and stir in along with the tomatoes, herbs, optional ham and cheese. Cook 5 to 10 minutes on high, to reduce the liquid. Serve hot overcooked ziti.

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Author of the award-winning cookbook Garden Gourmet: Fresh & Fabulous Meals from your Garden, CSA or Farmers’ Market, Yvona Fast lives in Lake Clear and has two passions: writing and cooking. She can be found at www.yvonafast.com and reached at yvonawrite@yahoo.com or on Twitter: @yvonawrites.