Sautéed pea greens with fried eggs

Sautéed pea greens with fried eggs

This isn't so much a recipe as a technique. Hardy winter greens and eggs are a great combination and a simple and fast weeknight dinner.

I always pick up some greens at the farmers market. Usually some kale, sometimes rainbow chard. If they are in the fridge, I'll find a way to use them.
This week, Isaac led us to our newest winter green- pea greens. When he gave a gummy smile to the lovely lady with the pea greens, a conversation started, and the next thing you know, I was walking away with a very large bag of greens for about four bucks.
On the way home, we googled (love the iPhone) and discovered that they were pretty versatile little things. Pea greens are fairly mild, which sets them apart from almost every other green available in New England on a cold February day.
Then Thursday night rolled around, and we still hadn't used them. So to google I go, again. I found a few recipes for them, and concluded that I could pretty easily sauté them with some garlic, and serve them with polenta and a fried egg. This is a meal I've made in the past, many times but then Isaac needed a bath, had a meltdown, and it was almost bedtime with no dinner made yet. Not good.
So I said "fuck the polenta!" (Don't worry Isaac was in bed) and sautéed the greens, cracked four eggs on top of them, and called it a night. Followed up with some wine, it was a reasonably successful meal.

Recipe.
Photo.

Sautéed Pea Greens with Fried Eggs (serves two)
Ingredients:
Washed Pea greens (or sub in any hardy winter green and increase the cooking time by a few minutes)
Four Eggs (farm fresh, pastured eggs will make any meal taste better)
Garlic
Shallot (totally great addition but you can skip it)
Olive oil
Butter
Salt
Breadcrumbs if you've got any

Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil and a tablespoon of butter in a cast iron skillet on medium heat
Chop the garlic and skippable shallot
Once oil is loose (moves around skillet easily) and the butter is melts, throw the garlic and shallot in.
Sauté garlic for a few minutes, until the kitchen smells just lovely.
Add in the pea greens (you did wash them, yes?)
Move them around the pan with tongs for one to two minutes
Make four wells in the greens (just push them around and make a little space)
Crack the eggs in, one at a time.
Don't touch anything. Just let the eggs do their thing. Throw some salt in.
You'll know when they are done. I promise. But you want the yolks runny and the whites to look white. Top with some breadcrumbs if you have them. Panko would be my choice.
Serving was a slight challenge. Use the biggest spatula you have and serve in bowls. You aren't serving the Queen, after all. (And if you are, really, you might want to bring in some professional help. And make something awesome.)