Collard Greens

We've grown a few collard greens in the past, but not many, and the ones we grew we usually sold at the farmers' market.  So, I've never cooked any for us to eat.  In fact, I've never had much desire to do so.

However, Tom is growing some again this fall, and after having some left over one Saturday, I decided to cook them.  I bought a smoked ham hock to cook with them and I've got to tell you they were delicious!  So delicious, in fact, that I had to know more about them.  Here is what I discovered.

Collard greens have been eaten for at least 2000 years, with evidence showing that the ancient Greeks cultivated several types of both collard greens and kale.  Collards are also low in calories and a good source of vitamin C and soluble fiber.   They also contain multiple nutrients with potent anticancer properties and have the ability to bind bile acids in the digestive tract making it easier for them to be excreted from the body. Since bile acids are made from cholesterol, the net impact of this bile acid binding is a lowering of the body's cholesterol level.

Here is how I cooked them.  First I put the ham hock in a pot of water and brought it to a boil.  Even though ham hocks are usually already fully cooked, it is a good idea to simmer them gently for an hour or so to bring out all the flavor.  They do not have much meat on them, but they impart a deep, rich flavor to whatever they are cooked in.  Once they get to the point where the meat falls off the bone, then I remove what little meat there is and discard the rest (bone, fat and skin).

While the ham hock is cooking, I wash the collards and prepare them to cook.  Their leaves are huge.  Here is one on my cutting board.  Notice how it takes up the entire board.

Next, remove the thick stem from the leaf.  I call this the collard "bone".  To remove it, fold the collard in half like this.

Use a knife to cut the leaf from the "bone".

Do this for at least 10 to 12 leaves.  Once you have the bones removed, then you should roughly chop the leaves into large pieces.  You will have a rather large pile when you are finished.  But don't worry, they will cook down. 

Put these in the pan with the ham hock.

Then cook them until they are tender.  You can add salt and pepper to taste.

The rich broth that is produced while the collards cook is called the "pot liquor".  It is a southern tradition to eat collards with cornbread and to use the cornbread to soak up the pot liquor left on your plate.

I am a big fan of collards now.  They are one of my favorite vegetables!