Collard Greens--just STEAM them! YUMMY!

[Guest guest]

I love collard greens.  Yes, they ARE bitter and " bitey " --I can't eat them raw,

unless it might be in THIN slivers, mixed in with a regular cabbage-and-carrot

with mayo-dressing coleslaw!

 

Jeanne said the leaves are generally tough, and I agree.  But when I cook them,

I almost always separate the leaves from the stems, but I CHOP UP the

stems--very thin and fine.  I also sometimes even PEEL off the tough fibery

parts of the stems, if they are really thick stems--and still chop them up

finely.  I chop up the leaves separately, too--and they ALL go into a

steamer-basket. 

I add in some chopped other veggies to the steamer basket as well, along with

the chopped collard greens: maybe diced or match-stick cut carrot pieces, small

pieces of raw sweet potatoes, finely-cut up golden or red beets, cauliflower

florets or maybe broccoli or--whatever--oh, and almost always add some chopped

fresh or dried chopped onion, maybe also garlic to it all.

 

I steam the greens until they are TENDER.  They are usually still " green "

colored, not cooked to totally mushy state, but they are TENDER.  When they cook

until the leaves and chopped up stems are TENDER, they usually ARE sort of

" sweet " !  I LOVE how these greens taste and I literally CRAVE them sometimes! 

Kale is another--similar taste and, yes, when steamed to the state of

" tenderness " , it is also somewhat " sweet " tasting!

 

I have to correct myself for something I posted recently, that is, I said I

didn't like a " sandwich that is bread or bun and just lettuce, nothing more " .  I

have to correct myself:

I have a strange liking for whole grain bread (or toast) with a little butter on

it and lots of '

cooked collard greens, kale, mustard, or turnip greens--or even beet-top greens,

spinach or

lamb's-quarter weed greens--as the filling.  I have NO idea why I like that

combination, but

for a " nothing but leaves " sandwich, it's good!

 

Where did the time go?  It's past midnight, so I gotta get to bed!  Have a great

day tomorrow, everyone!

 

--Laura B., in Ilinois

 

(I still have some collard greens in the fridge--I think that will be lunch

tomorrow, or rather, at noon TODAY--LOL!)