This recipe should appeal to those who love their collards cooked until very, very tender.
Ingredients:
collards, onion, garlic, tomatoes, jalepeno
Preparation:
Wash the leaves well and scrub the leaves with one of those green-sided scour sponges. I’m not sure why this makes them taste better, but it does. Perhaps whatever phytochemicals protect the greens from the elements are a little bitter. Remove the stems and chop the leaves into one-inch squares.
Saute a big yellow onion in olive oil in the bottom of an 8-quart pot. Add three or four minced garlic cloves and a minced jalepeño, stir for a second or two, then add a couple of chopped Roma tomatoes and stir to soften. Add the greens. Stir well to distribute everything.
Stir until the greens wilt down. Add just enough water to cover. Add a teaspoon of salt and (this may horrify some) a pinch of MSG. Simmer, covered for about 30 minutes, then remove a cup or so of the cooking liquid to a small bowl. Add a heaping spoonful of tomato paste and a heaping spoonful of Turkish red pepper paste, if you have it. Blend well and add back to the pot. Cook for another 30-45 minutes until the greens are very soft. Taste for seasoning. Add balsamic vinegar to the pot or at the table.