Preparation
Wash them thoroughly to remove any sandy bits clinging to the leaves. Collards can be coarsely chopped, shredded, or enjoyed whole. Prepare them any way you might prepare other greens like spinach, either raw or cooked.
RAW:
Winter harvested collards are delicately sweet and offer delightful flavor to a salad. The ribs, too, are sweet and crunchy. Be sure to include them along with the leaves. Chop collards into bite size pieces and combine them with romaine and loose leaf lettuces for a salad that offers plenty of nutrition.
Though the tough stems are frequently discarded when preparing collards for cooking, raw food enthusiasts and health conscious cooks appreciate the sweetness and crunchiness of collard stems and incorporate them into salads without hesitation.
Employ collard leaves as a wrap for raw pates or salads that combine finely diced vegetables and sprouts.
Make a chopped collard salad with fresh corn cut off the cob, chopped tomatoes, chopped sweet onions, raw pistachios, and salt-cured olives.
Include collards in green raw soup along with celery, cucumber, and scallions. Include apple and season with lemon or lime juice, sea salt and pepper.
COOKED:
Lengthy cooking in the soul-food style is a sure way to destroy the vitamin C content of this highly nutritious vegetable. Simply cooked greens are easy. Coarsely chop collards, put them into a saucepan with enough water to cover the bottom of the pot. Cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn heat down and steam about 5 to 7 minutes. Season to taste.
For the enhanced version of steamed collards, coarsely chop a bunch of collards, put them into a saucepan along with chopped onions, chopped garlic, a little water, and the juice of 1/2 a lemon. Bring to a boil over high heat and immediately turn heat down to low. Steam about 5 to 7 minutes or until collards are tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper and enjoy one of the healthiest vegetables in the family of greens.
A Mediterranean style collard dish begins by sautéing onions and tomatoes in olive oil. Add chopped collards, salt, pepper, and marjoram, and simmer gently about 15 or 20 minutes.
Chopped or diced collards make a tasty and nutritious addition to soups and stews.
Coarsely chopped steamed collards can be added to a cream sauce made from soy milk and thickened with cornstarch or arrowroot. Add your favorite seasonings and serve over baked or mashed potatoes or cooked grains.
Stir-fry chopped collards in a little extra virgin olive oil along with garlic and onions until tender. Season to taste.
COLLARDS IN CREAM SAUCE
- Wash collards thoroughly. Chop off stems and discard or use them in a salad. Remove the tough portion of vein and discard. Chop collards coarsely and put them into a 4-quart (4 liter) saucepan.
- Add about 1 C. (240 ml) water, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn heat down and steam about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove cover, and set aside.
- While collards are steaming, combine soymilk, salt, pepper, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice in a 2-quart (2 liter) saucepan. With heat on medium-high, bring to a boil, uncovered. Watch carefully to prevent boil-over.
- Combine cornstarch and water in a cup, and stir into a thin paste. Using a wire whip, add to bubbling soy milk mixture, stirring until thickened into a smooth, creamy sauce, about 1 minute. Adjust seasoning if needed.
- Drain collards and add to cream sauce. Serve warm. Makes 2 to 3 servings.
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