Kitchen Notes: Lucky Collard Greens

a simple way to make a perfect pot of greens

It’s hard to believe that today is the last day of the year, though I’m finishing it much the same way I started. In between oven rounds. Smell of the bakery in my hair. Warm cheddar-chive scones sit on the baking table. A healthy pile of dishes need washing. My husband is at the farmers market for the last time this year. He said his collard greens sold out within 30 minutes of opening. How very Southern.

The collards on our farm came from seeds distributed by the Heirloom Collard Project via the Utopian Seed Project, a mix of Tabitha Dykes, Old-Timey Blue, Ellen Felton Dark, and Green Glaze— diverse varieties being preserved and kept by collard-loving people across the South, including us. For this addition to Southern foodways, we owe a debt to the enslaved Africans who integrated collards into their kitchen gardens and culinary preparations.

Wintertime is high time for collard-eating in our home. We throw the leaves into winter soups, pickle the stems, use them as lunch wraps, and cook a mess to go with a pot of beans. The ubiquitous pairing of black-eyed peas and greens is, of course, thought to signal good luck and prosperity when eaten around the New Year.

We feel lucky to be able to grow such storied and flavorful varieties. After making your own pot of greens, maybe you’ll feel lucky too?

Lucky Collard Greens

Some folks like a lacquered collard green with a pronounced sweetness, but we like ours just balanced with the natural sweetness of apple cider. In the recipe below, make sure to use apple cider to deglaze the pan, and apple cider vinegar to finish.

1 lb. collard leaves, washed, stems removed

1/4 cup oil

1 small onion, julienned

2 garlic cloves, sliced

1 cup apple cider

Apple cider vinegar, to taste

To cut your collards, stack them in a pile and roll up like a cigar. With a sharp knife, julienne the leaves. In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion to the hot oil with a pinch of salt and sauté until translucent. Next, add the garlic and toast until it gets fragrant and golden. Add the collards to the pot and cook down, wilting them 3-5 minutes. Season as you go with salt and pepper. Once the collards have cooked down to about half their volume, add the apple cider and deglaze the pan. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Finish with apple cider vinegar—a splash or a glug, it’s up to you.

If you’re looking for more collard goodness, check out the latest edition of Crop Stories.