Early summer at a New England CSA means one thing: lots and lots of greens. Cooking greens, salad greens—they’re both in abundance.  In fact, their sheer volume can be a little intimidating, especially when you’re new to CSAs. The first year I was a member, I’d never eaten so many greens in my life. Luckily, I quickly discovered, you can treat cooking greens all pretty much the same way: wilting them in a covered skillet, where they steam in the water clinging to the leaves, followed by a sauté to evaporate the excess liquid. The only difference is that the steaming time will depend on how tough or tender the leaves: spinach wilts almost instantly; beet greens take a few minutes more.

The even more intriguing discovery is that using several of these greens together in the same dish—whether a frittata or spanakopita or just a side of ginger-garlic greens—makes for an infintely more interesting flavor.

Many-Greens Frittata

Serves four

1 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 small onion, diced
10 cups coarsely chopped cooking greens (a combination of Swiss chard, beet greens, kale, spinach—keep each type of green separate), washed but left slightly damp
Kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
6 large eggs, beaten
3 oz. goat cheese or other fresh, soft cheese

In a 10-inch ovenproof skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add the longest-cooking greens (such as beet greens or kale) to the skillet, cover, and steam in the water clinging to the leaves until the greens are wilted and tender. Add the quicker-cooking greens (chard or spinach), cover, and continue to cook, tossing occasionally with tongs, until they are also fully tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper (be generous, since the seasoning will be diluted by the eggs).

Position a rack six inches from the broiler in your oven and heat the broiler on high. Pour the beaten eggs into the skillet, lower the heat to medium, and give a few stirs so the greens are evenly distributed in the eggs. Distribute the goat cheese in small dollops across the frittata. Let the frittata cook, undisturbed, until the eggs are set around the bottom and sides of the pan, and beginning to brown on the bottom. Transfer the skillet to the oven and broil until the top is golden brown and puffed.