With the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program starting back up for the season, my kitchen is full of greens, just as it is every year around this time. I’m not complaining. In fact, my go-to brunch dish I cook up for my husband for his birthday/Father’s Day brunch is tracking right on schedule.

I make this green shakshuka, or Green Eggs in a Pan, as I’ve decided to call it, every year around this time. I probably make it five or six times every summer, and with every time I make it, I move further and further away from the original recipe. So much so that when I went to look up the official recipe in YotamOttolenghi’s cookbook “Plenty,” I couldn’t even find it at first.

Ottolenghi says he was inspired by cilbur, which is a Turkish dish of poached eggs with yogurt. I always think of it as a green shakshuka, the traditional North African dish of eggs baked in tomato sauce. Shakshuka roughly translates to “mixed up.” Ottolenghi uses arugula as his green, which I use sometimes, but I also used chard and kale in my adaptations.

The first step with any bunch of greens, especially those coming straight from the farm, is to give them a good soak (or two or three) in a big bowl full of cold water. The dirt will fall off your greens straight into the bottom of the bowl, and the water will turn a golden brown. It may take a few rounds to have grit-free greens, so give yourself some time for the hands-off cleaning.

There’s no need to dry the greens before adding them to your heated pan and oil – the water will actually help in softening and cooking them down. When I use chard in this recipe, I cut the stems off and cook them up in the pan before adding the rest of the chopped greens. Give them a six or seven minute head start to soften them up.

I know some people reading may not be celebrating Father’s Day this weekend, but please don’t let that stop you from making this dish. It’s a winner for dinner, lunch, brunch or breakfast, and everyone is welcome at my table.

Green Shakshuka

(Adapted from YotamOttolenghi’s Baked Eggs in Yogurt, from “Plenty”)

Serves 2

Ingredients:

3/4 pound of leafy greens

2 Tablespoons olive oil

Kosher Salt

4 eggs

3/4 cup Greek yogurt

1 garlic clove, crushed

Aleppo pepper, if using

Feta cheese, if using

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300F. Place the arugula and oil in a large ovenproof pan, add a pinch of salt and saute on a medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until the arugula wilts and most of the liquid has evaporated.

Make four deep indentations in the arugula. Carefully break an egg into each hollow, taking care not to break the yolk. Place in the oven and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the egg whites are set.

While the eggs are in the oven, mix the yogurt with the garlic and a pinch of salt. Stir well and set aside; do not chill.

Once the eggs are cooked, remove the pan from the oven. Spoon a quarter of the yogurt over each egg, followed by a pinch of the Aleppo pepper (if using), and a sprinkle of feta (if using).

Serve immediately.

Molly Parr lives in Florence with her husband and two young daughters. She’s been writing her food blog, Cheap Beets, since 2010. Send questions or comments to molly.parr@gmail.com.

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