The collard plants in my fall garden are now large enough begin harvesting, and I gathered the first batch of the season yesterday. What a treat! Southerners need no introduction to collards, but it occurs to me that other readers may be unfamiliar with them. Let me explain.
Collards are a loose-leafed member of the cabbage family and resemble kale in terms of their dark green color, thick leaves, high nutritional value, and somewhat bitter taste. Perhaps because collard greens are full of flavor and can be picked over a long growing season, they have become a staple Southern dish. They are also an essential part of the traditional New Year’s Day meal in the South, served with black-eyed peas, cornbread, and ham hocks.
This recipe was shared with me by my mother. It is much lighter than the traditional method of cooking collard greens with ham hocks and makes an appealing change of pace for the calorie-conscious. The mildly sweet flavor of this dish’s “pot liquor” nicely complements the bold flavor of the greens.
ingredients
2 1/2-pound bunch of fresh collard leaves (or 1-pound bag of chopped fresh collard greens)
1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 small garlic clove
1 small dried hot pepper
2 teaspoons honey
(optional) 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
Salt, to taste
preparation
- If using a collard greens bunch for this recipe, rinse it well, drain, and repeat. Remove the leaf stems and central vein (discarding them to the compost bin) and tear the remaining greens into bite-sized pieces. If using bagged greens, proceed to step 2.
- Place greens in stock pot, add broth, garlic, hot pepper, and, if desired, vinegar.
- Simmer until tender, approximately 20-30 minutes. Remove garlic clove and red pepper. Add honey, stir, and heat for an additional 2 minutes. Add salt, if needed, to taste. Serves 4-6 as a side dish.
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Hi Barbara
What role does the apple cider vinegar play in this recipe.
The vinegar is not essential, Jackie, and feel free to leave it out if you don’t like that taste. I’m from the Southern part of the US where collard greens are a great favorite and typically cooked with heavily flavored (and very oily) ham, ham hocks, or bacon. And, in my family at least, they are also typically served with “pepper salts,” a blend of vinegar and hot peppers. Since I was aiming for a seriously lightened up version of this approach, i decided to retain some of the vinegar and hot peppers while dispensing with most of the fat. Do keep in mind, though, that collards, like kale, have a very strong, almost bitter, flavor and benefit from a bit of sweet/sour tossed in. They’re not everyone’s cup of tea.