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Karen Showalter's picture

Collards are a gift. Truly. They are easy to grow, really tasty to eat and they are FULL of nutrients (they have more nutritional value than broccoli and spinach! That's saying a LOT!). 

Yet, cooking collards can seem daunting, because in the store the leaves seem large and tough. And make no mistake: if you don't cook them down well, they will be chewy.

But it's not hard to cook collards correctly. Here's how:

  • Wash the leaves, and remove the stalks and stems. Chop them into 1/2" wide strips (easiest is to roll a bunch of leaves together and chop. I also use scissors). 
  • Boil a couple of inches of water or broth in a skillet, add the collards, cover and cook for about 8 minutes. This will break the leaves down. Drain.
  • Sautee! There are so many options. Cooking the pre-cooked leaves in olive oil and garlic is an easy one. You can also add mushrooms, leeks or other veggies for more flavor. Add the cooked collards to your new ingredients, cover and cook for a minute or two.
  • Serve and enjoy!    

Check out other posts in this series: G is for Greens Part 1: Growing Mesclun and Collards and G is for Greens Part 3: DIY Plantable Paper.

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