Kale with white beans

Greens and beans were made for each other, especially when the marriage is ministered by garlic and given away by bacon.  One of my favorite seasonal greens is curly kale, and try saying that five times fast.  For this quick dish, originally a dinner and then eaten as lunch the next day, I had to use my "before" picture instead of after packing it for work.  It just looked so much better, and I couldn't let it down by dressing it in plastic for its big day.  Thinking outside the box...

Omit the bacon for an easy, vegetarian main dish (served with crusty bread, brown rice or buckwheat, or stirred into pasta with a bit of the cooking liquid, topped with parmesan) and just increase the salt.  I used cannellini beans in this particular version, but butter beans and haricot beans are all good.  In fact, borlotti beans are excellent, but I would have had to call the dish "kale with taupe beans", which just doesn't sound as good.

2 strips bacon, chopped

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 fat clove garlic, minced

Approx. 3 C. chopped curly kale

1 C. white beans

1/2 -1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

Cook bacon until crispy and fat rendered into the pan.  Remove bacon, drain off almost all fat, leaving enough to cook the onions and garlic.  Add onions and cook over low heat until translucent and soft.  Add garlic, cook for 1-2 minutes.  

Add kale and saute until bright green and softening.  Add beans, heat through.  Add balsamic vinegar, amount depending on strength of vinegar and personal taste.  

Serves 2