Collard Greens with Lemon and Garlic

FOOD:

Collard Greens with Lemon and Garlic photo: wbj

Hearty greens are a winter staple that are coming into season. With the chill of Fall in the air, healthful and mega nutritious collard greens are available in abundance at a great price.

Collard Greens are the Ambassador of Soul Food and Southern Cooking. There is probably a collards recipe for every regional accent and dialect below the Mason-Dixon line. Growing up in Virginia, collard greens made regular appearances on the table. I was never a big fan; collards tended to be cooked with fatty smoked meat until withered and soft. I like dark-green leafy vegetables with a bit of life and color.

Collards, kale, mustard greens, and such are becoming popular across the country in trendy restaurants. Now, nutritionists extol the benefits that southern women may have always known in their old wives' tale way.

After experimenting with recipes for awhile, here's my favorite, Sauteed Collard Greens with Lemon and Garlic.

Large bunch of Collard Greens

1-2 lemons

Garlic cloves, thinly sliced

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper
Sugar

Crushed red pepper

This is a general guide; adjust to fit your taste and needs.

Wash and rinse the greens several times in cold water. Gritty greens are gross.

Remove the large center stem and any large veins in the leaf. 

Stack the leaves in piles. Roll up the pile of leaves and slice into thick strips, chiffonade style.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a low boil. Drop in the collard greens for 3 minutes to soften. Drain in a colander.

Heat a large skillet on low with olive oil. Add sliced garlic to taste. After a minute, add blanched collard greens and toss to mix garlic throughout. Turn up heat to medium. Cook collards for 5-7 minutes, mixing regularly. Want to make sure the garlic does not burn. Add 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper. Toss and mix. Add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. Toss and mix. Add the juice of 1/2 a lemon. Adjust to taste. Drizzle on olive oil for final toss and mix. Garnish with thinly sliced lemons.

Enjoy,

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