Tangy, Garlicky Greens

The first and second weeks of May were a bit of a doozy for these sisters. The story goes something like this.

April 30th: Kate successfully defends her dissertation proposal but is also rejected from a major grant.
May 1: The first half of the family arrives from Alaska for an epic, and very hectic week of celebrating because Annalise is a rockstar college graduate!!!
May 2: The second half of the family comes in from Wyoming and A graduates!!! Sarah is busy in Denver doing some very serious lawyering and is very missed.
May 3: A series of parties/ceremonies ensue.
May 4: K's car breaks down. A's roommates are moving out and others are moving in. Lots of chaos.
May 5: More partying for A. K and mother try to buy all decorations for K's upcoming August nuptials and seriously fail.
May 6: A's sweet, beautiful childhood dog is hit by a car back in Wyoming and she doesn't make it. Everyone is so sad. Kindness from strangers who give the doggie a proper burial overwhelms us all.
May 8: K becomes very ill. She pushes through and goes with A and Mom to try on the-wedding-dress-that-is-sort-of-ugly-and-needs-much-fixing-oh-no.
May 9: K ends up in urgent care with strep and a stomach virus, because that's how she rolls.
May 10: The rest of the week is a wash of anti-nausea meds, gatorade, and too many episodes of Private Practice.
May 11: S's very serious lawyering ends for the week in a nerve-wracking way. She flies to Phoenix anyway, because....
May 12: The recovered K has an epic bridal shower and bachelorette party. A is in another wedding this day, but somehow she still makes it out to K's parties. All sisters also engage in various care activities for a sick grandmother. (Who is now doing better, thankfully.)
May 13: Country music dancing at a cowboy bar is going on still in the wee hours of the morning. Later, S flies back to Denver.
May 14: Everyone breathes a collective sigh of relief.

The one day not listed above? May 7th? On that day I cooked these greens, which we harvested from P's community garden plot. They were amazing, and provided a good dose of nourishment in the midst of some serious insanity.

Tangy, Garlicky Greens

Chard or kale, several large bundles
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1 medium or two small lemon(s)
4 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons butter
Nutmeg
Sea salt

Put 3 tablespoons of butter into a large soup pot and melt on simmer or low. Add 4 cloves of minced garlic, and let cook, still on low, for 30-45 minutes. The butter/garlic combo will become incredibly fragrant.

Meanwhile, wash and de-stem your chard and tear into large strips. Add to the pot with a tablespoon of water. Put the lid on the pot and let greens wilt for 5 minutes, stirring with butter/garlic. Add the juice of 1-2 lemons (depending on their size and strength and your preferences) to the greek yogurt. Stir over greens and add nutmeg and sea salt to taste. Serve warm and wilted, but not all the way cooked down. We ate it with this amazing soup and these delicious cocktails.

Considerations for food allergies and ethics: Vegetarian but not vegan. Gluten-free. Do not make if you have a dairy or casein allergy, but do remember that nutmeg and lemon are a good flavor pairing for greens even without the butter and the yogurt. Into slow food? I've grown chard in the extreme (and very different) climates of Arizona and Wyoming with great ease.