Collards

Published at

May-June, Oct-Dec

I have one standard treatment for all these sturdy, leafy greens. Dump them all into a sink full of cold water. Especially in hot weather, rehydrating the leafy greens will extend their life by days. You need enough water that the leaves float and the dirt sinks. Swish things around, then let them sit so the dirt settles. Scoop the leaves off the top and wrap them in a dish towel or paper towels and then maybe put all that into a plastic bag. Leave the bag open so moisture can escape. If you can make the time, it’s really best to go ahead and prep the leaves the way you’ll want them for your recipes. Strip leaves off stems, for example, maybe chop the leaves. Just remember that the smaller the bit of green you’re storing, the shorter the time it will keep. So chopped kale – a day or two. Whole kale leaves? Weeks. (Although weeks means the leaves get more and more wilted.)

We do receive enough greens that you may want to freeze them for using over the winter when there’s no weekly Riverview box. Best to do the traditional blanching. Prep the leaves in the form you’re most likely to use for cooking, put them into boiling water until they just turn color, then put them into a bowl of ice water to quickly cool. Drain them, squeeze out excess moisture and place in freezer storage containers.

(2023) Greens Grilled Cheese

I’ve been wanting to make the Greens Grilled Cheese from Steven Satterfield’s new cookbook so that, along with a pot of vegetable soup (white potatoes, peppers, greens, carrots) is what’s for dinner tomorrow. Sarah Dodge’s Colette Bakery opened just two blocks from our house and I will get down there for a loaf of her sourdough levain for those sandwiches.

Atlanta chef Steven Satterfield describes this sandwich as a “healthy-meets-decadent mash-up,” and it’s true. Use a mix of greens if possible. These sandwiches are large, half of one is plenty. Because the bread slices are so thick, the oven helps melt the cheese.

Adapted from “Vegetable Revelations” by Steven Satterfield (Harper Wave, 2023).

~Conne

(2023) Chickpea and Kale Shakshuka

I’m a big fan of shakshuka so when I saw the Chickpea and Kale Shakshuka recipe below I clipped it to try. Maybe it will appeal to you as well.

Adapted from “Family: New Vegetarian Comfort Food to Nourish Every Day” by Hetty McKinnon

(2023) Oven-Baked Country Bacon & Collard Egg Rolls

From “Egg Rolls & Sweet Tea: Asian Inspired, Southern Style” by Natalie Keng.

“Yay” for collard greens in today’s box (at least in ours). I’ve been wanting to try the recipe below for baked collard green egg rolls from the new cookbook out from Atlanta sauce maven and author Natalie Keng. It won’t use all the collards, but it will use some of the cabbage I have stored in the refrigerator and that last green onion from two weeks ago. I love peanut sauce on anything, and while we love egg rolls here, I’m anxious to try these baked egg rolls which I think will be so much easier than frying. Not to mention healthier.

(2022) Eve’s Pot Liquor

Last week we had turnip greens (without the turnips) and I juiced them. I juiced apples. And I made Eve’s Pot Liquor, a cocktail from Keyatta Mincey-Parker that I found in an old issue of Atlanta magazine. Recipe is down below. Have you tried aloe liqueur? I had to buy it for a recipe for the AJC. Lightly sweet, yummy, glad to find another use for it. And loved putting turnip greens into a cocktail.

(2022) Crustless Quiche Loaded with Kale

And yes, we have lots and lots of greens recipes, too, but here’s one more, Stoddard’s Crustless Quiche Loaded with Kale. I love anything that looks like a pie but doesn’t make me prepare a crust!

(2022) Grits and Greens

I’m cooking for a friend who is unable to cook for himself right now. I want to make something a bit more stick-to-your-ribs and so I’m going to make the Grits and Greens (again, recipe below) adapted from the New York Times. Their original recipe called for quick-cooking grits but I have Riverview grits in the freezer, and for collards and Swiss chard. I’ll be using the kale and Swiss chard from this week’s box.

(2021) Braising Greens Pancakes

And for a new recipe, I’m sharing another recipe from Aluma Farms, one they adapted from SmittenKitchen.com. It’s totally adaptable for whatever greens were in your box … or will be in next week’s box …. or the box the week after that.

(2021) Freekeh Salad with Roasted Kale & Cabbage (or chard!)

here’s an idea from Alexandracooks.com (one of my favorite recipe sources) for using both cabbage and kale (or chard). She adapted it from “Food 52 Vegan” by Gena Hamshaw. Almost seems like a waste to chop that pretty Savoy cabbage into pieces but … I was in South Carolina for the weekend and picked up “The Twenty Bag” for Harleston Towles. So now I have a South Carolina cabbage to go with my Georgia cabbage. The only thing they seem to be ahead of us with was their sweet onions. There were two huge onions in that bag. Can’t wait until the Riverview onions start arriving.

I love grains and greens with sweet dried fruit like raisins (or dates or even dried cranberries). Hope you’ll enjoy this, too.

Her notes about the recipe: So many vegetables could work here: cabbage, kale, cauliflower, broccoli, parsnips, carrots, squash, etc. If you are using kale and cabbage, slice the leaves relatively finely or at least try to make the vegetables you are roasting together be uniform in size so that they cook evenly. Freekeh is not something I’ve cooked with many times, but I happened to have a bag of it on hand, and I think I’ll be buying it more often. It cooks quickly and has a nice, chewy texture — it reminds me of bulgur. Freekeh is harvested when it’s young or “green” then roasted, which gives it a slightly smoky, nutty flavor. Use any grain in place of the freekeh: farro, wheat berry, quinoa, bulgur, etc. I’ve used both currants and golden raisins, but chopped dates would be nice, too — anything to add a touch of sweetness. Nuts would be a nice addition here.

(2021) Braising Greens Pancakes

I am also excited to see collards this week. If you don’t use your beet greens in the crispy beets recipe, how about adding them to the collards and making these Braised Greens Pancakes from Aluma Farm. Do you know Aluma Farm on the Westside Beltline? They put out a weekly e-blast with information about what’s available at their farmstand and occasionally provide recipes, like this one they adapted from Smitten Kitchen. It’s a valuable recipe because you can use any greens you have on hand. They cook the pancakes in a bit of oil. That’s delicious, but not necessary. I’ve made these on the griddle with just a brushing of oil or nonstick cooking spray to keep the pancakes from sticking. Served with a lemon-yogurt mixture, the result is a bit like spanakopita but without the fiddly rolling of things in phyllo. Definitely a win.

(2018) Autumn Vegetable Potage

I’ve shared this recipe before but it’s worth repeating. Save it for when next week’s box when there will surely be a bundle of greens of some sort.

Demonstrated by Virginia Willis at the Peachtree Road Farmers Market. As she says, feel free to substitute with what’s in season and in your box. And she recommends the two pots specified here to keep the greens crisp..

(2018) Warm Collard Green Dip 

Chef Michele Tompkins, “executive foodie” and managing partner of Urban Foodie Feed Store: Kitchen & Bar in College Park sends us this recipe that updates your favorite spinach dip with extra-healthy collard greens and a nice chive topping. No more frozen spinach and packaged onion soup mix. 

Tomkins says she likes to serve this with crisp tortilla chips, although you can use warm tortillas if you prefer. And if you like your food on the spicy side, add a bit of your favorite hot sauce.

For the wine, she suggests a Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc. 

(2017) Ginger Sesame Collard Slaw

I don’t remember how I acquired this, but it’s a recipe from vegan blogger Becky Striepe of Glue & Glitter. Her recipe is for a small serving. Increase to suit the size of your crowd.

(2017) Fried Rice with Collards

I can’t be the only one glad to see collards arriving in our boxes. They have truly become a favorite green in my house. No idea where this recipe came from originally. Stem, chop and wash those collards, then steam them in a saucepan, in your microwave or with my new favorite appliance, an electric pressure cooker. Then you’re all set for the rest of this dish. (did I mention that these new electric pressure cookers double as rice cookers as well? love, love, love)

(2017) Baked Greens Rice

Another go-to recipe that works for all kinds of greens including cabbage. Fancier than the pasta, works great for a special dinner. Love the addition of dried fruit.

Rice Bowl with Beef, Onions, Collards and Fried Egg

Adapted from a recipe in “Smoke & Pickles” by Edward Lee.

Serve with “Imperfect Rice.”
The rice recipe makes enough for 4 large rice bowls or 6 appetizer-sized ones
The goal when cooking rice this way is to achieve a thin layer of toasted crust in the bottom of the pot. The crispy layer in contrast with the fluffy layer of rice on top is a sumptuous combination. I use a 10-inch cast-iron skillet. You could seek out a stone rice crock like the ones they use in Korean restaurants, but the cast-iron pan works just fine. Make your favorite toppings while the rice is cooking. When the toppings are ready, divide the warm rice, crunchy bits and all, among rice bowls and serve.

Ginger Sesame Collard Slaw

If you try this recipe, it will make a small dent in a big bunch of collards. It’s from Becky Striepe of Glue and Glitter (https://www.glueandglitter.com/). And of course, you can always increase the quantities.

Health Soup

So a little more complicated, a recipe from the New York Times. Delicious and worth pulling together. I’m finding lots of dried shiitakes these days at local farmers markets – a great way for the farmer to add value to shiitakes he/she might not have been able to sell fresh.

If you prefer, use instant dashi for the whole kombu/bonita flake thing. All available at Sevananda or wherever you buy such things.

Collard Green Tacos with Tomatillo

We forget that greens make a great taco filling. Try this recipe from Michelle McKenzie and her book “Dandelion and Quince.” I don’t know what variety of small pepper was in our box this week, but it would be delicious in this recipe.

Collard and Olive Pesto

At our house, collards seldom show up undisguised. I make a fabulous collard tabouli and my husband has no idea he’s eating collards. He’s also not a fan of basil pestos, but this collard pesto from Southern Living is a delicious substitute.

In case you need a few ideas for using it up, the magazine suggested stirring some into hot mashed potatoes, into egg salad or just into mayonnaise and then using that as a sandwich spread. Perfect for a ham sandwich, I think.

Butternut Squash and Collard Tacos

This recipe will work with all kinds of greens. Just chop the greens finely. It’s adapted from a recipe in “Tacolicious” by Sara Deseran and Joe Hargrave.

Cathy Conway’s Collards with Smoked Tomatoes and Cornmeal Dumplings

Chef Cathy Conway is the founder/executive chef of Avalon Catering – completely dedicated to local food. I do not remember how I got this recipe from her, but it’s delicious. I’m just loving dumplings these days.

Do you have some Riverview cornmeal leftover from last year’s boxes? Then you’re all set.

Indonesian-Style Collard Greens Curry

Combine turmeric, shallots, garlic, chiles, and ginger in a small food processor and purée, adding up to 4 tbsp. 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 flatten and tie into a knot. Heat oil Read More…

Linton Hopkins’ Slow-Cooked Collards with Mustard Potlikker

Clean, de-stem, and cut collard greens into wide strips. In a large, heavy pot, add sorghum and vinegar and bring to a low boil. Add fatback (or bacon) and onion and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add greens, chicken stock, and cayenne pepper. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss thoroughly and Read More…

Cutting-Edge Collards

Another recipe from Southern Living. These days you can find really great smoked salts at stores like Strippaggio in Emory Point or Cook’s Warehouse. Use those instead of that hickory smoked salt they sell at the grocery store. They’re naturally smoked instead of artificially flavored and really yummy.

Autumn Vegetable Soup

The days are still warm but cool nights have me craving soup. This recipe is adapted from one in Fine Cooking magazine.

Collard Green Breakfast Bake

We ran this recipe in the AJC as part of a story on healthy eating. Love this dish – this is my idea of breakfast comfort food. Except that I wouldn’t eat it at breakfast. Makes a great brunch or dinner.

Grits-and-Greens Breakfast Bake

A great make-ahead dish from the pages of Southern Living. Use your collards, or your kale, or your beet greens, or a combination of all three. Make up a big batch of greens and then reserve some for this dish.

Collards for Thanksgiving

— Adapted from a recipe in “Farming, Friends, & Fried Bologna Sandwiches” by Renea Winchester (Mercer University Press, $21).

Classic Collards

Let’s start collards season with this classic recipe. You can mix in your mustard greens if you like. (I like – I love the combination. But then, mustard greens are my favorite greens.)

Greens and Onion “Souffle”

This recipe is great for using up some more of those greens. It will work with your beet greens, radish greens, turnip greens or chard. I wouldn’t use the collards, they just need a little more cooking to be tender. An adaptation of a recipe from Rebecca Lang’s “Quick-Fix Southern: Homemade Hospitality in 30 Minutes or Less.” Greens and onions are such natural companions.

Cold Noodles with Fresh and Preserved Greens

Preserved mustard greens can be found canned at most Chinese markets but I’ve included a recipe for preserved greens that you could make with your collard greens. Yes, you’ll have to plan ahead of this dish, but you’ll have an interesting way to use up some of your collards.

Try your romaine lettuce in this dish, or the tender radish and beet greens. Or the cabbage! Or use the kale and cook the greens a little longer than called for here.

Adapted from recipes on seriouseats.com and Saveur magazine.

Savannah Peanut Collard Greens

This idea for collard greens comes from “From The Food, Folklore, and Art of Lowcountry Cooking” by Joseph E. Dabney (Cumberland House). The book includes this note:

“Brimming bowls of collard greens infused with peanut butter are one of the most popular side dishes served at Andrew and Eileen Trice’s Angel’s Barbecue located on West Oglethorpe Lane in Savannah’s historic district. Andrew picked up the idea from a friend who had visited West Africa and witnessed firsthand how it was done there. On occasion, Andrew adds hot chili peppers, following another West African practice.

“On the raining late October day that I visited their small restaurant tucked in a lane behind the Independent Presbyterian Church, Andrew and Eileen had sold out of the unusual dish. So unfortunately I did not get to try it firsthand. But they still shared the recipe with me!”

Collard Greens and Cheddar Cheese Pakoras

Here’s a recipe for when you run out of ideas for collard greens this fall. It comes from the Food 52 blog. Besan or chickpea flour is traditional and can be found at the DeKalb or Buford Highway Farmers Markets or at stores that sell Indian groceries. Not sure if Whole Foods or Sevananda carries it. You could substitute all-purpose flour if that’s simpler.

Sweet Potatoes with Collard Greens and Field Peas

With apologies to those of you who get emails from Whole Foods, this is a recipe that just arrived in my inbox today. “Sweet potatoes, collard greens …. and how about substituting those field peas for the aduki beans called for in the recipe,” I thought. And so, here it is.

Smoked Chile Collard Greens

One more collard green recipe – this one from Bobby Flay’s “Bar Americain Cookbook”. You can always cook the beet greens along with the collards to make up that 2 1/2 pounds the recipe calls for.

Garbanzo Beans and Hearty Greens

This is a recipe from Cooking Light magazine. Just the collards or beet greens. Either will work. You may want this dish longer in the last step, depending on how tender you want your greens.

No smoked paprika? It’ll be fine. But really – buy some the next time you’re at the market. It’s wonderful.

Greens with Peppers and Ham

Our final pepper recipe also features greens. Now you have an amazing assortment of greens in this week’s box. My box had a few collard leaves, a bunch of mustard greens, all the tops from those hareuki turnips and the greens from the kohlrabi. I have to say that the kohlrabi bulbs are so small (believe me, they’ll get bigger as the season goes on) that I just cleaned them and sliced them up to eat raw with the hareuki turnips. Then the greens went into the sink with all the others. I’ll be making the gumbo z’herbes we featured last year. I can’t find the recipe in the archive, so I’ll make a note to include it next week.

Anyway, here’s a recipe from chef Eddie Hernandez of Taqueria del Sol, also demonstrated last year at the Peachtree Road Farmers Market. It uses greens and peppers. Hernandez’ version was all collards, but this mixture of greens in the box would work just fine. You cook the greens separately, then add them as an ingredient. Just steam the greens unless you have some leftover from another meal. Love that this will use up some of your jalapenos and tomatoes as well.

Lynne Sawicki’s Collards with Maple Bacon Vinaigrette

This next recipe amuses me. It’s from Lynne Sawicki of Sawicki’s Meat Seafood & More in Decatur and it calls for 1 part bacon to 3 parts raw collard greens. Now we all know that both bacon and collards cook down – but the proportion seems to favor the bacon, and I guess that’s appropriate for the owner of a meat shop.

Collard Green-Olive Pesto

One of the ways many of us preserve a bounty of basil is by making pesto. How about adapting that idea for the collard greens in this week’s box so you can enjoy them for another few weeks? Stir it into pasta, add some to a batch of field peas, serve it as bruschetta at your next party.

It seems this is an idea that’s been around for a while. Here’s one version I found adapted from a recipe originally in Gourmet magazine in 2004. Now you can adapt it to suit your taste.

Macerated Collard Greens with Ham

One more idea from Jason Paolini. You see raw kale salad recipes by the dozens. Why not something similar with collards? You could make this with ham, speck or prosciutto, or just serve the salad without any pork at all.

Raw Thai Spring Rolls with “Peanut” Sauce

And then there’s the arrival of that other green – collards. I was reminded that someone once demonstrated dolmades – grape leaf rolls – where collards stood in for the grape leaves. Makes perfect sense. And given the small bunches of collards we’re going to get right now, that idea might be just the way to use up the dozen or so leaves that are in our boxes.

I also ran into lots of raw food recipes using collard greens to wrap “spring rolls”. Here’s one from goneraw.com. Adjust the vegetables, the amounts and the sauce ingredients to suit your household. You can substitute peanut butter for the almond butter if you’re not a stickler for a raw food diet.

Andrew’s Peanut Collard Greens

“Brimming bowls of collard greens infused with peanut butter are one of the most popular side dishes served at Andrew and Eileen Trice’s Angel’s Barbecue located on West Oglethorpe Lane in Savannah’s historic district. Andrew picked up the idea from a friend who had visited West Africa and witnessed firsthand how it was done there. On occasion, Andrew adds hot chili peppers, following another West African practice. On the raining late October day that I visited their small restaurant tucked in a lane behind the Independent Presbyterian Church, Andrew and Eileen had sold out of the unusual dish. So unfortunately I did not get to try it firsthand. But they still shared the recipe with me!”

Spicy Orange-Scented Collard Greens

If you need still another idea for collard greens, I found my ancient (1998) Flying Biscuit cookbook. I was actually looking for the cookbook from Agnes & Muriel’s which has Glen Powell’s yummy healthy collard recipe – cooked with lemon and sesame seed. I couldn’t find that one, but I did find this recipe from April Moon. Just a bit of restaurant history – back at that time, Lynne Sawicki, now proprietress of Sawicki’s Meat Seafood and More in Decatur, was cooking along with April at the Flying Biscuit back in the mid 90s when this book was being written. And do you know the easy way to peel fresh ginger? Just use a teaspoon to scrape off the peel. No need for a paring knife.