Ages ago, I asked the Facebook community what vegetables I should share tips and recipes for. Dava requested collard greens. Alan and I have never actually cooked those and I didn’t see any in the market over the next couple of weeks. It was time to ask for help.
Douglass St. Christian came through for me, sharing these recipes and thoughts:
I’ve used them in stews — they can take a bit of time to braise. I like them in a stew of smoked sausage and collards, with sweet potato added towards the end so it cooks but doesn’t dissolve. They are also nice chopped and a] added to a beef stew or to braising ribs or b] braised with root vegetables and lots of bay, not too saucy at the end, served with crusty bread.
A different way I’ve done, but not in a long time, is to cook some bacon lardons until well rendered. Then, braise the collards in the bacon fat until it is tender, adding shrimp and the lardons at the end so the shrimp are just cooked. Lots and lots and lots of black pepper. Serve this over rice — add some lemon just just before serving.
They can be bitter, like kale sometimes is, so they need something to offset that — slow braising, the carmelization from the bacon, that sort of thing — they don’t show up often around here which is a shame.
Thanks so much for your help Douglass!
And if anyone else has a question about food, please let me know, either here or on Facebook. If Alan and I don’t know the answer, we have some very good friends who will!
Photo Credit: PhotosByAlyssa.com
Yum, yum!
Oh yeah, I’m totally planting some in my garden next year!