Greens

[Varmint]

Collards. Turnip greens. Mustard greens. Cooked with fatback, bacon, or other form of pork. Cooked slowly. Add a touch of vinegar, and sometimes a bit of sugar. I really adore greens and eat them any chance I can.

What greens do you eat?

How do you prepare them?

What are some unusual ways to incorporate greens in your cooking?

[gus_tatory]

beet greens and swiss chard! steamed in water clinging to the leaves, and a glom of sweet butter at the end. delicious with toasted bread crumbs and parmesan, sesame seeds.

i'm wondering if i know "collards" under a different name? outside of the South, do they go by another moniker?

[Varmint]

i'm wondering if i know "collards" under a different name? outside of the South, do they go by another moniker?

Collards are related to kale, but have a different leaf and flavor.

Here's a good description for you: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/BODY_MV053

[guajolote]

Made some beet greens for Maggie & crew last night w/ bacon fat, garlic, and a dried pepper. They were very well received.

[Katherine]

I steam the greens until they're done. While they're cooking, I saute chopped raw bacon, add diced onions and garlic. Mix it all together at the end, with salt, black pepper, and red pepper.

Usually it's kale or chard, also napa. I cook cabbage the same way, though maybe that's not so much a "green". I've been looking for mustard up here, they don't seem to have it in the supermarkets yet.

[mcdowell]

Oh, my. One of my favorite subjects.

I like a mix of collards and cabbage.

Saute up onion and a pepper, maybe a little bit of your favorite pork fat, then fill the pot with stock and a touch of vinegar... bring it to a boil, then add the collards. Bring down the heat and simmer the greens for about a half hour, till they're tender, then add the cabbage and cook for another twenty minutes.

That's some good eating.

And yet here I sit with nothing more than a stale bagel in the house.

[Popcorn]

We always have tons of greens on hand owing to our large and demanding house rabbit. We eat a lot of kale (Dinosaur Kale being my favorite, followed by black Kale) and mustard greens.

I'm also a fan of Lettuce soup, but by far my favorite green is the top, tender shoots of the stinging nettle, boiled for a couple of minutes to denature the stinging aspect of the plant, then topped with a little butter and vinegar. They have a rich, almost meaty flavor, and aren't bitter at all if you only take the small leaves.

[pogophiles]

I prefer a mixture of mustard and turnip greens, but just this weekend I picked a mess of poke sallet -- went great with my scrambled eggs Sunday morning...

[NYC Mike]

Help educated me folks? Collard, mustard, kale, turnip, others types?

Are some better during certain seasons then others? (In another post Anne mentioned collards might be better with "a touch of winter on them")

Are some better combined or stand alone?

Are some better with certain main dishes than others or are they just good all the time with anything?

Thanks!

-mike

[annecros]

Help educated me folks?  Collard, mustard, kale, turnip, others types?

Are some better during certain seasons then others?  (In another post Anne mentioned collards might be better with "a touch of winter on them")

Are some better combined or stand alone?

Are some better with certain main dishes than others or are they just good all the time with anything?

Thanks!

-mike

←

Pork is always good with greens, but fowl is very nice as well.

Collards are a year around thing, but do benefit from some cold weather. Collards are one of the most primitive of the family, but I have found that Kale will benefit from some cold weather as well. I think it has something to do with the sap in the plant. In spring, when young foragers are around and about, I can see where being bitter would make you more inclined to graze on another plant.

Remedies for bitterness abound. You can rinse and stick in the freezer until the droplets freeze (I do this with Kale), saute onion and/or green pepper to sweeten up the pot. Cane syrup, corn syrup and just plain white sugar have known to be tossed in the greens if the taste test of the pot likker at the very end reveals too much bitterness. I use the yellow onion sauteed at the beginning most often.

Google the greens up, and find out what greens are more bitter than others. Turnip greens are used, for example, to "cut the mustard" meaning that that turnips are sweeter than the bitter mustard. I sort of like the bitter, but that is a matter of taste.

Most greens can be mixed - collards not so much for some reason. I just like them straight up. But I have produced pots of greens that use Kale as a substitute for mustard, and tossed rapini in as well.

Of course, turnip greens are good on their own.

Play around, this is fun and nutritious stuff.

[C. sapidus]

Collards.  Turnip greens.  Mustard greens.  Cooked with fatback, bacon, or other form of pork.  Cooked slowly.  Add a touch of vinegar, and sometimes a bit of sugar.  I really adore greens and eat them any chance I can.

What greens do you eat? 

How do you prepare them?

What are some unusual ways to incorporate greens in your cooking?

←

I love Southern-style greens, especially collards, although I have never made them myself. Instead, we usually stir-fry greens in a hot wok. A wide variety of greens can be stir-fried successfully, from bok choy and water spinach to Swiss chard and mustard greens. Despite very different ingredients and cooking methods, Asian and Southern flavorings for greens show interesting parallels.

For example, we made mustard greens last night. Wash, dry, and trim the greens, cutting the thicker stems in half. Smash garlic cloves, chop into rough chunks, and briefly stir-fry in peanut oil (with thinly sliced chilies, if you like) over medium heat. Raise the heat to high and add the greens. When the greens are almost done (in a very few minutes), add liquid flavorings of your choice. For me, a mixture of meaty fermented soybean paste, salty fish sauce, and sour-sweet Chinkiang vinegar gives a particularly satisfying flavor.

Asian and Southern cooking each complement the natural bitterness of many greens by adding meaty, unctuous, salty, sour, and sometimes hot and sweet flavors. Does anyone else find this sort of thing fascinating?

If not, we now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.

[annecros]

Collards.  Turnip greens.  Mustard greens.  Cooked with fatback, bacon, or other form of pork.  Cooked slowly.  Add a touch of vinegar, and sometimes a bit of sugar.  I really adore greens and eat them any chance I can.

What greens do you eat? 

How do you prepare them?

What are some unusual ways to incorporate greens in your cooking?

←

I love Southern-style greens, especially collards, although I have never made them myself. Instead, we usually stir-fry greens in a hot wok. A wide variety of greens can be stir-fried successfully, from bok choy and water spinach to Swiss chard and mustard greens. Despite very different ingredients and cooking methods, Asian and Southern flavorings for greens show interesting parallels.

For example, we made mustard greens last night. Wash, dry, and trim the greens, cutting the thicker stems in half. Smash garlic cloves, chop into rough chunks, and briefly stir-fry in peanut oil (with thinly sliced chilies, if you like) over medium heat. Raise the heat to high and add the greens. When the greens are almost done (in a very few minutes), add liquid flavorings of your choice. For me, a mixture of meaty fermented soybean paste, salty fish sauce, and sour-sweet Chinkiang vinegar gives a particularly satisfying flavor.

Asian and Southern cooking each complement the natural bitterness of many greens by adding meaty, unctuous, salty, sour, and sometimes hot and sweet flavors. Does anyone else find this sort of thing fascinating?

If not, we now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.

←

I have always been left with that impression as well. Techniques differ, but flavor profiles are amazingly similar.

Witness the southern pepper infused vinegar habit for greens, for example.

Edited January 8, 2007 by annecros (log)

[scubadoo97]

Like greens, just don't make them often enough. I did collards recently for new years day. Cooked them with onion, celery and garlic. We don't eat pork so I used a few pieces of smoked turkey wing to bump up the flavor. Fresh greens are great. If I can find beets with the tops they always get cooked. Kale in soups is a nice way to use a green.

[Ktepi]

Carrot tops are excellent in mixed greens, gumbo z'herbes, etc. -- they can be kind of peppery (the way olive oil is peppery), especially if the carrots are very young, so if I'm cooking them on their own I usually add them to a carbonara or other tomato-less pasta sauce.

[Porthos]

I don't cook greens for myself. The smell of the cooking greens actually is offensive to my nose - but that is my problem. However, I have occasion to cook greens for some vegans. Because they are served to people I don't actually have contact with I have no idea if they even find what I've done acceptable.

The reason I'm posting in this thread is to find out if anyone ever uses balsamic vinegar for flavoring without adding butter or meat. I would be willing to try this so that I could try and taste the greens before serving. Using the current method of just sauteing them (which the head of the kitchen - a volunteer effort - asked for) I can't bring myself to taste them at all - but I am concerned. I don't want to serve inedible food and without any feedback (because of the lack of contact with those who do eat it) I have no clue if it gets eaten or just tossed.

Thanks for any light you can shed on this.

Porthos Potwatcher

The Unrelenting Carnivore

Edited January 9, 2007 by Porthos (log)

[Andrew Fenton]

The reason I'm posting in this thread is to find out if anyone ever uses balsamic vinegar for flavoring without adding butter or meat.  I would be willing to try this so that I could try and taste the greens before serving. 

Yes, I often cook this way, especially with Swiss chard. Saute a little onion, add the rinsed, damp chard, steam away, add balsamic at the end. Good stuff.

[Porthos]

The reason I'm posting in this thread is to find out if anyone ever uses balsamic vinegar for flavoring without adding butter or meat.  I would be willing to try this so that I could try and taste the greens before serving. 

Yes, I often cook this way, especially with Swiss chard. Saute a little onion, add the rinsed, damp chard, steam away, add balsamic at the end. Good stuff.

←

Thanks. Swiss chard is the specific green I have cooked.

[madziast]

mmmm, greens, love 'em all. often mix stronger greens like dandelion, beet or mustard with chard or spinach.

love to saute them with onion and serve over toasted bread with fried egg for a quick lunch. or make a savory tart/quiche type of thing. got some nice swiss chard today and have some leftover bouley bread, will make a nice supper

[shellfishfiend]

I don't cook greens for myself.  The smell of the cooking greens actually is offensive to my nose - but that is my problem.  However, I have occasion to cook greens for some vegans.  Because they are served to people I don't actually have contact with I have no idea if they even find what I've done acceptable.

The reason I'm posting in this thread is to find out if anyone ever uses balsamic vinegar for flavoring without adding butter or meat.  I would be willing to try this so that I could try and taste the greens before serving.  Using the current method of just sauteing them (which the head of the kitchen - a volunteer effort - asked for) I can't bring myself to taste them at all - but I am concerned.  I don't want to serve inedible food and without any feedback (because of the lack of contact with those who do eat it) I have no clue if it gets eaten or just tossed.

Thanks for any light you can shed on this.

Porthos Potwatcher

The Unrelenting Carnivore

←

A touch of vinegar does wonderful things for greens. In the South, we love pepper vinegar on our greens. With greens that are a bit bitter, a little sweetness will help balance that. Balsamic, with its sweet flavor, will really enhance your greens.

[barcelona]

And then there is always Wolfert's greens jam: i recently made it from beet greens, and served with roasted beets - excellent stuff.

[GlorifiedRice]

Collards.  Turnip greens.  Mustard greens.  Cooked with fatback, bacon, or other form of pork.  Cooked slowly.  Add a touch of vinegar, and sometimes a bit of sugar.  I really adore greens and eat them any chance I can.

What greens do you eat? 

How do you prepare them?

What are some unusual ways to incorporate greens in your cooking?

←

I JUST made Greens today.

1/2 pound Hatfield bacon (the only smoked food/brand I can tolerate) cut up and crisped and drained added back to the pot and 6 cups chicken broth added.

Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.

Cook 1 hour covered.

Add a whole bag of pre washed pre cut Glory brand Collards

Cook covered 2 hours.

Add red pepper flakes and Franks Redhot

cook a lil longer.

Add one can drained white cannellini beans, cook 10 minutes more and serve...

My Uncles restaurant serves this.

[NYC Mike]

I don't cook greens for myself.  The smell of the cooking greens actually is offensive to my nose - but that is my problem.  However, I have occasion to cook greens for some vegans.  Because they are served to people I don't actually have contact with I have no idea if they even find what I've done acceptable.

The reason I'm posting in this thread is to find out if anyone ever uses balsamic vinegar for flavoring without adding butter or meat.  I would be willing to try this so that I could try and taste the greens before serving.  Using the current method of just sauteing them (which the head of the kitchen - a volunteer effort - asked for) I can't bring myself to taste them at all - but I am concerned.  I don't want to serve inedible food and without any feedback (because of the lack of contact with those who do eat it) I have no clue if it gets eaten or just tossed.

Thanks for any light you can shed on this.

Porthos Potwatcher

The Unrelenting Carnivore

←

A touch of vinegar does wonderful things for greens. In the South, we love pepper vinegar on our greens. With greens that are a bit bitter, a little sweetness will help balance that. Balsamic, with its sweet flavor, will really enhance your greens.

←

There is a recipe for hot pepper vinegar in "The Gift of Southern Cooking" that I think we will make this weekend.

When we had ours the other night I salted them and added a little seasoning salt and my wife who likes all things hotter than me put some pepper flakes.

-mike

[racheld]

There were no whole collards when I shopped for produce yesterday---I settled for two of those crinkly bags of "cut" ones. They are fresh and dark green, and will cook up just like we like them.

I'll sit with a BIG bowl in my lap, perhaps with a TIVO'ed Top Chef to watch and dissect and grumble to. I will take each long shred, tear out the biggest of the center stem chunks, leave the smaller, tenderer ones for contrast and heft, and then wash the whole pan through several clear, cold washings, lifting them out onto a big tray as they emerge dripping from the water.

Then they'll go into the biggest, heaviest pot, with just the water that clings to them, along with some salt, a few sprinkles of sugar, a big meat-clinging ham bone from the freezer, and lid on, they will cook gently for a LONG time, the old Mammaw way. It's a cold, drizzly day, and the scent of cooking greens and crusty cornbread will fill the house with the scent-memories of a lifetime.

Perhaps a little cool bowl of baby red potato salad alongside, with some crisp crescents of cold sweet onion, and a few hearty shakes of the just-ready pepper sauce with the little wasptails. It's been brewing in the sunshine in the upstairs kitchen window, with the reds and yellows of the peppers reflecting the light all over the walls.

Chris will come smiling down the stairs, with a brisk breeze of the outdoor cold and damp, will change into his warm sweats, have a sip of something warming, and we'll sit down to a meal which has warmed and comforted and filled generations with the homey, homely ordinariness of a sublime comfort food.

He'll pick up the peppersauce bottle, sprinkle a few little glugs into his bowl, taste, and give it a couple more drops. A big bite of the wedge-end of the buttery cornbread, a bit of cool, mustardy potato, and the circle is complete---Greens and Cornbread. If the whole world could catch on to this---we'd all be better off.

I've always said if I ever wrote a book about the South, it would be called "Blues and Greens." One feeds and enhances the other, in a never-ending cycle, repeated every day. And each is better for the kinship.

[slo_ted]

Can't get enough greens these days. When my brother and I went fishing in Caldwell, Texas 2 years ago, I remember getting huge bunches of turnip and mustard greens at the local grocery for 39 cents a bunch. They're more like $1.39 for a bunch that will feed 2 here on the CenCalCoast, AND you can't find the turnip variety anywhere. Chard, mustard, kale and sometimes rapini are the fare. I usually boil/steam them in a small amt of h2o and bacon fat. Sometimes I add some diced onion and/or dices turnip to the pot. In this house we like 'em thoroughly cooked--no al dente stuff.

[Fresser]

Greens are as foreign to the typical Yankee as grits are. Which is a shame, considering how I love spinach and other green leafy vegetables.

How should I, as a greens newbie, prepare them? Would I cook them in a manner similar to spinach, which I love sauteed with garlic and lemon?