Escarole with Anchovy and Garlic

Escarole is a green that asks for confidence. It has a pleasant bitterness, a sturdy leaf that holds up to heat or, in this case, a dressing with real presence. When you mash anchovy and garlic together into a paste and let them dissolve into olive oil and lemon, you create something greater than the parts. The salt of the sea meets the bite of raw garlic, tempered by good fat and bright acid.

This is peasant food, Italian in its bones. The kind of dish you make when you have excellent greens and a few anchovies in the pantry. It requires almost nothing of you except attention to quality. The escarole must be fresh and alive, the anchovies worth eating on their own, the olive oil something you would happily drink from a spoon.

Look for escarole at your farmers' market in the cooler months. It thrives in fall and winter, growing sweeter after a frost. The heads should feel heavy, the outer leaves green and unblemished, the inner heart pale and tender. If you cannot find escarole, frisée or curly endive will carry the same bitter charm, though with a more delicate texture.