Soften the edges of these healthy greens with these recipes
By Faith Bahadurian, Special Writer
Until recently, many of us didn’t cook collards unless we had a southern background. But today, they are far from just the occasional accompaniment to ham or barbecue, although I do include a recipe for that iconic side dish below.
With our newfound appreciation of the healthfulness of dark, leafy greens (vitamins! fiber!), we are cramming brassicas like collards, kale, and mustard into our diets at every chance. But it will soon grow too warm for these cool weather crops, so enjoy their brief spring season now, and return to them in the fall. (And when summer heat hits, switch over to tenderer non-brassicas like chard and beet tops.)
Collards and their brethren do take some getting used to, and some coddling to soften up the sharp edges of their flavors. They have traditionally been prepared by lengthy cooking until they become soft and silky, but they can also be good with a little crunch. Additions like smoked pork or onion sweeten their taste, and a splash of vinegar cuts the bitterness.
To clean collards, plunge them into a sink full of cold water, swish them around, and let the dirt fall to the bottom as you lift the leaves out. Shake them off before trimming. Remove the center stem by slicing along either side with your knife, which also facilitates cutting the long leaves in half. Or just strip the leaves from the stalk by holding the base of the stem in one hand as you pull the leaves away with the other. Stack the leaves in a single pile and cut crosswise into thick ribbons, or merely tear into pieces, depending on your recipe.
A friend of mine recently raved about the collards at Lucy’s Kitchen and Market, saying they were cooked in coconut milk. Lucy’s co-owner Caron Wendell tells me they make two versions, “Asian” with soy sauce and, less frequently, the version with coconut milk. She has provided that recipe below, telling me it is based on one from “Saveur” magazine.
I also found lots of soup recipes using collards. It was hard to choose, with so many interesting options online, including one with chicken and almond butter, a vegan version with peanut butter, and variations of the classic kale/chorizo/white bean soup. In the end, I chose a Lebanese soup with red lentils.
As the first recipe below mentions, leftovers are great fried up the next day. I took my own leftover Asian collards from Lucy’s and poached a couple of eggs in them for dinner, with some smoky Black Forest bacon strewn on top, and toasted country bread on the bottom.
COLLARD GREENS
Adapted from “Hoppin’ John’s Lowcountry Cooking,” John Martin Taylor, Bantam (1992). Serves 10-12.
1 gallon water
½ pound smoked pork neck bones (try Shop Rite, or sub smoked hocks or turkey wings)
1 bunch (about 5 pounds, uncleaned) collards
1 dried hot red pepper (optional)
Put water and smoked pork in a pot and boil, uncovered, for about 30 minutes, until water is pleasantly flavored. In the meantime, clean the collards. You will end up with only about 3 pounds of greens, since the stems are discarded.
Tear greens into pieces about the size of your palm and add them to the water, with the hot pepper if desired. Simmer, uncovered, until they are very soft, or to taste. Collards can take as long as 2 hours; other greens will cook in much less time. Serve with hot pepper vinegar.
Leftover greens are delicious reheated in a frying pan with roasted peanuts and crushed red peppers — a dish at once African, Southeast Asian, and Lowcountry in flavor and spirit.
LUCY’S KITCHEN
AND MARKET COLLARD GREENS
From Saveur magazine’s Indonesian-Style Collards. Serves 4-6.
1 ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
7 shallots, roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 red or green Thai chiles, minced (or other small, hot chiles)
1 3-inch piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
2 large fresh stalks lemongrass
3 tablespoons oil
2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
2 pounds collards, stemmed and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch wide strips
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Combine turmeric, shallots, garlic, chiles, and ginger in a small food processor and purée, adding up to 4 tablespoons water, to form a smooth paste; set aside. Trim tip and root ends of lemongrass stalks and remove tough outer layer. Using a meat mallet, smash lemongrass to ?atten and tie into a knot.
Heat oil in a 6-quart pot over medium-low heat; add reserved paste and lemongrass; cook, stirring often, until very fragrant, 10-12 minutes. Add sugar, salt, and coconut milk; bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add collards; cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 40 minutes. Remove lemongrass; season with salt and pepper and serve warm.
RED LENTIL
AND GREEN COLLARD SOUP
Adapted from allrecipes.com. Serves 4.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon salt
1 cup dry red lentils, rinsed and drained
5 cups water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 bunch collard greens, rinsed, stemmed, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/3 cup lemon juice
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, stir in onion and salt; cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in lentils, and cook for 1 minute. Pour in water, bring to a boil over high heat, then turn heat to medium-low, and simmer, covered until lentils are tender, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add collards and cook until wilted, about 10 minutes. When lentils are tender, stir in the collard greens and season with cumin, cinnamon, and garlic; allow to simmer 10 more minutes. Stir in lemon juice before serving.
Faith Bahadurian blogs at http://njspice.net (also Twitter @njspice).