If you never had a pot of collard greens cooking on top of your stove, then all I can say to you is until you do you have not lived. A great pot of greens is life fulfilled in a plate. How can that be you say? It just is, trust me.
I bought three bunches of organic collard greens from Whole Foods, my favorite organic food store. It is my favorite because my son Adrian worked for the company for a number of years. Adrian taught me how to shop it for whole wallet savings. There are many items in the store I like and like to shop for. I truly love the produce department. Buying the greens made me instantly remember two things. First, my mother who always made the best pot of greens. For example, we as a family must of ate them at least once a week. Second, my daughter Taylor and her husband (my son-in-law) Keenan. Likewise, they have told me on numerous occasions that I do not cooked my greens long enough. Today would be different. Today I will honor my mother and I will show the world that I can make a fantastic pot of greens just like mom, Taylor, and Keenan's.
I grew up first eating greens seasoned with pork products in it like salt pork, ham hocks, or other. Later in my teen years, Mom switched the meat to smoked turkey and chicken. Similarly, if I were eating meat, (I am not now) I would make it with smoked turkey thigh. Diestel is a great brand, also found at Whole Foods and PCC here in Seattle. On the other hand, the best thing for collard greens be great is the right amount of fantastic flavor. It follows then that, this recipe will change your life or at the very least make you want to cook a great pot of greens.
Ingredients:
3 large bunches of organic collard greens, chopped
1 medium onion, sliced thin
3 Tbsp. to 1/4 cup of olive oil (you can use vegetable oil)
3 cups organic vegetable broth
2 Tbsp. organic apple cider vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp. Franks Red Hot (or your favorite cayenne pepper sauce)
Hot water
Season salt or Salt and Pepper to taste
In a large pot or cast iron casserole pot with lid and on low to medium heat, stir fry sliced onions in olive oil for 3 minutes or until translucent. Add chopped greens by handfuls to onions alternatively with minced garlic, seasoning and vegetable broth; ending with collard greens. Turn heat up to bring to a boil and add enough water to just under about 2 inches of top of greens. After all ingredients come to a boil turn greens down to low and cover for 2 hours. You will want to taste the broth after 2 hours. Afterwards, stir in apple cider vinegar and hot sauce, cover pot and continue to cook on low heat up to 3 hours longer depending on your patience.
Eat a small bowl with the broth immediately after full cooking and decide if you like the texture (you will). Keep lid on to serve same day or take lid off to begin to cool down about 1-2 hours before refrigeration. Refrigerate in air tight container.
I ate another bowl while it was cooling and another for a total of three bowls in 3 hours. So good and it sustained me all day. Even better was the next two days of reheating refrigerated greens on top of the stove or microwaved.
Greens make a great side dish to accompany many other menu items like baked, roasted or fried chicken or fish. Many generations of my family also served it with rice, yams or sweet potatoes, cornbread and even macaroni and cheese. Hungry yet? Go on make a pot of greens. Do it on a day that you can rest while waiting or work on a project as you will not be able to leave the house until the greens finish cooking.
All in all, I know my mother would have been proud of the way I cooked these greens. My daughter and son-in-law are probably thinking, "it is about time, mom!" All three are my inspiration for today. xoxo
