Tomato Salad With Field Greens

4 bn Bitter greens (such as dandelion; amaranth, chard, escarole; spinach or watercress)
Salt; for blanching
2/3 c Extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 2 lemons
1 ts Salt
3/4 ts Freshly-ground black pepper
2 lg Ripe tomatoes; cored
(or 3 medium-size ripe tomatoes; cored)
8 oz Aged Parmesan cheese; (1 lg chunk)

Wash the greens well and trim and discard any tough stems. Bring a very large pot of water to a boil and add 2 to 3 teaspoons salt. (A large quantity of water is the key to avoiding bitterness.) Have ready a large bowl of iced water. Add the greens to the rapidly boiling water and cook 2 to 3 minutes, until tender but not mushy. Drain in a colander, shaking off excess water and then plunge the hot greens into the iced water. When the greens are cool, remove any ice from the surface and drain in a colander again. Then squeeze out any excess water and place in a bowl in the refrigerator. Mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Toss with the cooked greens to coat thoroughly. Return to the refrigerator. Cut the tomatoes into 1/2- to 3/4-inch slices. Arrange on 6 salad plates or a platter. Top the tomatoes with the cold dressed greens and garnish with shavings of Parmesan cheese. Serve cold or at room temperature. This recipe yields 6 servings.

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