Children tend to separate food into a few simple categories. Sweet and salty foods are tasty, and even sour foods can be okay (witness lemon drops). But bitter foods are just a no-go. Brussels sprouts are plain gross, and forget about arugula and endive.

Palates, though, improve over time. And tastes we weren’t ready for become more interesting later in life. Like cigars, coffee, and cognac, the enjoyment of bitter greens is one of the privileges of adulthood. It’s a major discovery when you realize that bitter greens aren’t nearly half-bad. In fact, with the right treatment, they become downright seductive – the vixen, rather than the spinster, of vegetables.

There is the glorious tangle of wilted radicchio, the buttery but arch richness of caramelized Belgian endive, and the salty sweet slurp of broccoli rabe with oyster sauce. They may not be as accessible as a Happy Meal, but bitter greens taste even better when given a chance. When you’re ready to venture beyond mesclun, your cooking strategy is what matters most.

The trick is taming the bullying bitterness into near, but not total, submission. Blanching the greens and combining them with a dose of fat and salt creates a yin-yang effect: Most of the bitterness is eliminated, but a distinct and addictive bite remains.

Bitter-tasting greens hail from several plant families, and vary wildly in texture and degree of bitterness. Endive, escarole, frisee, and radicchio all come from the chicory family and can be eaten raw or cooked. Greens from the especially nutritious (and pungent) cabbage family include arugula, mustard greens, and kale, while more delicate Swiss chard, spinach, and beet greens come from the beet family. Invigorating dandelion greens, commonly dismissed as a weed, actually come from the sunflower family.

Children avoid bitter greens for the same reason most animals do – the greens produce alkaloid compounds to convince hungry foragers not to eat them. But ironically, it is that very bitterness that once made them popular with adult Homo sapiens. According to Patience Gray’s classic food memoir “Honey From a Weed,” Mediterranean cultures once prized the bitterness of wild greens, foraging for them in order to enjoy their health benefits. Nowadays, Europeans are still known for their love of bitter greens, and their taste and healthfulness are getting attention in America, too. Packed with vitamins and minerals, bitter greens also contain high amounts of bioflavanoids and antioxidant compounds. And luckily enough, these greens crowd the markets in wintertime, right when the immune system needs a boost.

Just as plants evolve defenses against being eaten, humans have developed clever ways of smoothing out that bitterness into something tasty. Vegetables like cucumber, eggplant, and lettuce started out bitter, but have been bred to veritable blandness. Even greens that remain bitter have been modified by the way they’re grown. Belgian endive is grown out of the sunlight to reduce bitterness, while frisee and dandelion greens are often picked when small and mild-tasting.

But proper cooking and seasoning are the most important allies in the bitter Battle of the Alkaloids. Sauteing and steaming both help the mature, tough greens become milder, but blanching is even better: The bitter compounds leech into the water, and boiling softens tough-stemmed greens like kale and chard. More delicate, younger bitter greens like baby arugula usually don’t need to be pre-cooked – just seasoned right.

First off, it’s best to take bitter greens with a grain (or two) of salt. According to Harold McGee’s “On Food and Cooking,” sodium chloride suppresses the perception of bitter flavors. That goes not only for the powdery white stuff, but other salty ingredients. A few canned anchovy fillets, melted down with hot pepper flakes in a bit of olive oil, makes a nice sauce for blanched dandelion greens, while a smoked and salty ham hock is famously compatible with collard and mustard greens. The Chinese tame their bitterest greens with salty soy or oyster sauce.

Oddly enough, sourness also can mask bitterness. Lemon juice squeezed over cooked or raw greens makes the flavors become brighter and friendlier. Vinegar also can be used to add acidity, but the taste can be a bit too harsh for the greens. Tomatoes are a better choice, giving a touch of sourness but also a gentle sweetness.

Of course, the gentlest treatment of all is an ample amount of fat. Olive oil, rich cheeses, and pork products such as bacon and pancetta add comforting warmth to even the most astringent greens. The greens do their part, too, cutting through richness. A hunk of braised pork shoulder won’t induce a food coma if you serve a zesty dish of bitter greens alongside. Well-marbled steak tastes twice as luscious when contrasted, Italian-style, with a pile of lightly dressed arugula leaves.

That’s more bitter (and better) than a few radicchio leaves in a mesclun salad.

Bitter Greens Salad With Anchovy, Lemon, & Parmesan

This dressing is reminiscent of a Caesar, but it’s simpler and even more satisfying on bitter greens.

1 garlic clove
2 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2-3 canned anchovy fillets, finely chopped
4-6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground pepper to taste
5 cups young bitter greens, such as frisee, arugula, dandelion greens, alone or in combination
A hunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano, for grating

1 Finely mince the garlic on a cutting board, then sprinkle it with a bit of coarse salt. Mash the minced garlic repeatedly with the flat side of your knife until the garlic begins to break down into a smooth paste. Alternatively, you can mash the garlic and a bit of salt together with a mortar and pestle.

2 Place the garlic paste in a bowl, and whisk in the lemon juice and the minced anchovies. Gradually whisk in the olive oil until emulsified. Taste and as much black pepper as you’d like.Toss the dressing with the young bitter greens, arrange on four plates, and grate Parmigiano generously over the top.

SERVES 4

Rigatoni With Tuscan Kale & Taleggio

The rich, tangy Taleggio cheese balances the meaty kale nicely. The rippled Tuscan kale (also called cavolo nero, or “dinosaur” kale) is best for this dish, since the nooks and crannies trap the cheese more easily.

1 bunch Tuscan kale
1 pound dried rigatoni pasta
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 pound pancetta or bacon, sliced into short strips
1/2 cup thinly sliced onion
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
2 dried red chilies
6 ounces Taleggio cheese, at room temperature

1 Set a large pot of salted water to boil. Trim off the tough ends of the kale, and slice into 2-inch pieces. Blanch the kale for 3-4 minutes, until almost tender. Drain and set aside.

2 Cook the rigatoni according to package directions, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water.

3 In a large skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the pancetta or bacon and let the fat sizzle a bit. Add the onion and saute until just golden, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Toss in the garlic and chilies, and cook, stirring frequently, for another minute.

4 Add the blanched kale to the pan and turn to coat the greens in the pancetta-onion mixture. Let the flavors blend in the pan for a few minutes, adding a few tablespoons of pasta water if the greens look dry. Taste for tenderness and adjust the seasoning.

5 Add the pasta to the skillet and toss with the kale and the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter. Scoop the Taleggio out of its “shell,” add it to the pan, and toss again until the cheese begins to melt, and coat the pasta evenly. If necessary, add a bit of reserved pasta water to smooth out the texture. Serve right away.

SERVES 4