Shouldn't we all be eating more collard greens?

Out of curiosity I bought a huge bag of collard greensfrom Walmart and cooked up some tonight. Yummy! Looked them up and they are a member of the cabbage family which explains the cabbagy smell as they were cooking.

Collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, chard, etc. They’re all awesome. Whenever I barbecue, I always make a pot of mixed greens (half collard, half mustard is my most common mix) to help balance out all the gluttonous amounts of pig meat and fat. (I make mine without the typical base of bacon when I’m making them as a barbecue side.) It’s also great in soup, and there’s this Rick Bayless recipe for Swiss chard tacos that works well with any green. Yummers.

My sister will frequently advance the notion that broccoli is the perfect food. I don’t know that I’d go that far, but I do frequently cook it because it’s something that my husband will eat that’s relatively healthy.

My husband would happily subsist on scalloped potatoes or mac’n’cheese as a side dish to most meals, if I would let him.

Heretic! You’re supposed to have tater salad and coleslaw and pork’n’beans or some other kind of beans when you barbecue!

I love Collards, sign me up!

Unfortunately, I’ve only ever had them boiled in a southern fashion with a smoked hock, ham bone/base, or turkey neck/smoked turkey wings. For me, great amounts of bacon, or pork, or even pork fat, are not needed with the substantial Collards, just a decent dose of a smoked, meaty bone to stew with the collards and provide a flavorful likker. I much prefer collards for their flavor and texture over turnip or mustard greens… they are far, far superior. Southern Hot Sauce and Collards go together like french fries and ketchup, just made for each other in a classic sense.

One thing about collards is that they take a while to cook, to become toothsome they require a bit more cooking than your average leafy green. (Similar to cooking cabbage, in some ways.) I have often wondered why there arent more “stuffed” collard recipes because their texture, dimension, leaf, and flavor would seem perfect for rolling up some long stewing savory fillings. The texture kind of reminds me of a grapeleaf. I’m thinking maybe a New Orleans stuffed Grapeleaf… Some rice, lamb, pork, and sauteed trinity and garlic all rolled up in a blanched collard leaf… then slowly stewed in a creole sauce or sauce piquant.

Sounds like a Texas BBQ, not necessarily one from the rest of the Southern US. :slight_smile:

I hear that chocolate makes you happy. :wink:

I prefer turnip greens, but collards and mustard greens are tasty, too.

Really, any edible member of the cabbage family is delicious.

People on coumadin and those who have hemochromatosis should probably avoid them. My ex-roommate used to douse hers with vinegar. She said it’s a Southern thing.

Mr. Neville would certainly say so. He’s Southern, and loves greens. We usually make them with a smoked turkey leg (no ham or pork for us, since we keep kosher).

Love them greens! I usually mix collards and turnip when I make them at home. Doused with pepper vinegar, of course. Kalhoun, your roommate was right. It is a Southern thing.

Eating out, the best collards I’ve ever had were at Mesa Grill. Beat out my grandmother’s collards for sheer wonderfulness.

You can keep them, honey. You’re not supposed to eat anything that smells like that when you cook it.

Here’s one, anyway:

Pork Stuffed Collard Greens

Those are standard sides at BBQ joints. :slight_smile:

I know they can’t compare with fresh, but I have here in front of me one of several cans I pick up whenever I grocery shop at Walmart:

Glory Foods Sensibly Seasoned lower sodium Mixed Greens (turnip, mustard, kale - smoke flavoring and lots of others, hot red pepper flakes). As I am the only one who eats them, I can highly recommend them as a side dish.

Glory is pretty much the only decent canner that does greens that are any good. I always keep a few cans on hand for when the greens urge strikes and I can’t get to the farm stand.

Yep, greens are good for you. Unfortunately they taste like boiled socks unless they have lots of pork products cooked with them. With enough fatback, and vinegar and/or hot sauce of course, even collards can be good.

I’m a native North Carolinian and I hate collards. Everyone in my family just lurves them though, so I still get to smell them cooking when I visit. Ick.

I don’t see how I could possibly eat more greens. I’m pretty much a one man green eating machine as it is. Just about any soup can be bettered by adding greens (fresh or frozen). And a big bowl of collards or mixed greens is a near daily part of my diet, when in season.

I’m so happy I live in the south.

Native South Carolinian checking in, never cared much for greens of any type, but I’ve only ever had much exposure to the boiled-to-death style.

I do plan to try one of Alton’s recipes sometime.

Never had 'em. If they smell like cabbage though…yick. I’ll stick with raw spinach, thankyouverymuch.