Summer has arrived! Almost. There are still a few cool days that keep rearing their heads but that is quite alright with me. Those ever so slightly cool evenings make for a perfect night to have friends over for a meal and some red wine. My friend and I have spent this past week tag-teaming inventive recipes using our giant box of Lancaster Farms CSA veggies. Friday night after work, she and I and a few other friends gathered in my kitchen and “impromptued” a perfect fall-into-summer dinner.

With an enormous bag of mustard greens, we had plans to cook them down with some onions and garlic and were playing around with thoughts of mixing in some white beans. On my subway ride home, I started daydreaming about our meal and decided that a poached egg would round this out perfectly and my friend agreed. While the greens were sautéing, we tossed a few ideas back and forth until my favorite white bean puree recipe popped into my head. My friend’s eyes widened with excitement when I said we should place the greens on top of this and so that’s exactly what we did. After photographing the first dish, so it wouldn’t get cold, we all sat down at the table and had at it family style. It was gone in seconds and we proceeded to devour the next two plates of it in minutes. It was a perfect Friday night with the best company and a surprise meal that pleased us all. For a great podcast and article on the health benefits of mustard greens, check out WNYC’s Last Chance Foods. Here’s how to make this dish…

Serves 3

Bean Puree:
1 can can cannellini beans (drain and discard liquid)
1/8 cup vegetable broth
1 clove garlic
2 tsp olive oil
1 tbs white vinegar
2-3 tbs apple cider vinegar
1 sprig of rosemary

Combine beans, vegetable broth, olive oil and vinegars in food processor and blend until smooth. Add garlic and rosemary and pulse until mixed in.

Mustard Greens:
1 bag of mustard greens
1 large white onion diced
3 cloves of chopped garlic
2 sprigs of thyme
2 sprigs of rosemary
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Add onions, garlic and olive oil to a medium-large pot (I used a Le Creuset). Sautee over medium-high heat until the onions begin to soften. Slowly add the mustard greens, tossing and allowing to cook down. You can cover the pot for a minute or two to help cook down the greens, continue adding the mustard greens until entire bag is cooked down. Season with salt and pepper to taste (I added a few small pinches of salt)

Poached Egg:
In a separate pot, boil about 2 inches of water and add a few tablespoons of white vinegar. Once water comes to boil, reduce to simmer. Crack an egg into a small cup and pour egg into simmering water, using a spoon to pull the whites of the egg towards the yolk. Let simmer for about 3-4 minutes. Remove egg

While the eggs are poaching, prepare your plates with a large scoop or two of the bean puree and top with the mustard greens. When eggs are ready, place on top of the greens and sprinkle with cracked black pepper.