Recipes

[Tigriss]

I'm in rural south Georgia and can find collards at most gas stations or grocery stores in the back of someone's pickup selling them from Thanksgiving to New Years and beyond. We also have them in the back yard. I'm a bit freaked by the store bought ones but those that are cut and washed already in the produce department are temping. Fresh collards take some washing and cleaning to get the stems out, then rolling and cutting into pieces. I love mine with ham hock, left over ham bone and/or crisp bacon sprinkled on top after cooking in the pot before the greens are put in with a bit of the bacon grease left in there. Here's to the black eyed peas, collard greens and crackling cornbread for dinner New Years day and supper too!

[Tigriss]

I will also say the OP is quoting the AJC. In the big city/metro ATL they really aren't southerns any more, a bit like Florida being southern but on geographically speaking. Granted diversity in population brings all kinds of delish food into an area! Yummo for diversity!

[chrystaltree]

I've never eaten them, they aren't part of our New England cuisine.  But we do have Southern and Soul Food restaurants, I'm sure they will find a work around if they have too.

[IamDoodles]

Ok now I know why I couldn't find any at Walmart or Kroger.  I ended up buying the frozen ones.  

[Tigriss]

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@chrystaltree wrote:

I've never eaten them, they aren't part of our New England cuisine.  But we do have Southern and Soul Food restaurants, I'm sure they will find a work around if they have too.

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@chrystaltree  You are right that "greens" (mustard or turnips) or "collards"  haven't been part of the New England diet but spinach and kale have been.  They are all bitter greens, but collards take some more cooking because they are physically a tougher leaf and the stems are not really edible unless you like chewing tons.  Most people blanch them first in heavily salted water then drain and rinse.  We also add a bit of sugar to them during the steaming or boiling to take out some of the bitter or vinegar or more salt (which they do take a good bit of salt but we also tend to cook them with smoked ham hock or hog jowl or bacon.  We like to add a mildly hot pepper vinegar to all of our greens after they are served to each person's tastes. The bit of spice and vinegar takes the bitter out too.  

[Imaoldhippie]

Never fear, no shortage, they just want to raise the price.

[novamc1]

Haven't ever  bought  or cooked collard greens myself.   Kale, either.

DH can't eat much of that type of dark green vegetable  due to  interaction with his blood thinning meds, and probaby doesn't care much for them anyway.

 Spent part of my college years  in North Carolina and did try collards in the university dining hall.  The natives  considered me  to be a Yankee in need of Southern food therapy  and advised me to put vinegar on them.

Well, one or two tries was enough for me.

My preferred dark green vegetable will always be spinach, which I absolutely love and do not think of as being very bitter.

Collards apparently are just another one of those Southern crops that got damaged by this year's hurricanes, so most supplies probably  will be coming from somewhere else, I suppose.

[JillyMarie]

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@SeaMaiden wrote:

. Never had them... would not know what to do with them here in the PNW.  

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Buy a can of low sodium (unless you really, really like salty foods) collard greens.  Fry up a few strips of bacon and remove from pan.  Add to taste minced garlic (I usually do two large or three small cloves) and saute until fragrant.  Crumble up the bacon and add to skillet with the collard greens.  Heat the greens until hot and some of the liquid has reduced and serve.  Yummy.