Collard Greens Recipe | Four String Farm

(& Peperoncino) ♡

Collard Greens Recipe | Four String Farm

Freshly picked collard greens offer a unique and robust flavor in this healthy and delicious recipe. Prep time is 15 minutes and cooking time is 45 minutes, or up to 2 hours. The longer they simmer, the better the flavor.

Collard greens are not particularly popular outside the Deep South, where folks know their country greens. Many of us were subjected to poorly cooked collard greens in grade school cafeterias–or worse, we ate them from a can and that cured us forever. Most collard recipes call for processed and nitrate-soaked pork products, so health-conscious eaters sometimes avoid collards altogether.

A negative stereotype of collards is very regrettable. Most home gardeners can easily grow this hearty vegetable in the backyard plot. Shoppers at farmer’s markets can usually find local collards throughout winter and spring. Freshly picked collards from a chemical-free garden offer one of the best and healthiest tastes of the farm.

Why is this recipe excellent? These collards will have your kids asking for their greens. This dish can be quickly prepped and then set to simmer while the rest of the meal is prepared. Fresh bacon is used (not cured pork), so this dish is healthy and has a wonderful flvaor. The leftovers are excellent.

Ingredients (serves 4 as a side dish. We typically double the ingredients and use the same cooking time for each step.):

quarter pound of fresh bacon, roughly chopped into one inch or smaller pieces

half of a large sweet onion (1015 onion if you can find it), roughly chopped

half teaspoon crushed red pepper

good pinch of sea salt

one large clove garlic, minced

one bunch freshly picked collard greens

1 cup low-sodium low-fat chicken stock, with one cup extra on hand

a dash or two of hot sauce

salt and pepper to taste

To prepare: Rinse the collards well and remove the stems by holding the stem in one hand and stripping the leaf down the stem with the other. Removing stems should take less than a minute. Discard stems. Lay collard leaves flat on a cutting board and roll or fold over, and roughly chop into long strips.

Sautee the bacon, onions, pepper flakes, and salt in a cast iron pot with the lid off (you can also use a metal pot) over medium-high heat. Sautee until the onions turn translucent and bacon is about half cooked. Add garlic and stir until the garlic just releases its fragrance, about 30 seconds. Add as many leaves into the pot as you can fit, pour in one cup chicken stock, add a dash of hot sauce, cover, and simmer at a low boil for at least 45 minutes.

The leaves will cook down, so you can add the remainder of the leaves as the collards cook. As the collards release their moisture, the liquid level will rise, but as the dish simmers some of the liquid will evaporate. Add more chicken stock only as needed, to achieve your desired amount of liquid. Make sure the liquid does not cook all the way out.

After 45 minutes the collards are ready to serve. Salt and pepper to taste. You may continue to simmer for up to two hours.

Girls afternoon – Gilbert Farmer’s Market, where we got bags of huge (fresh) collards! Although the beets and rainbow carrots make better pictures 😉