Collards

Season: spring, fall, and winter

Storage: Store your collard green in the fridge by placing unwashed collard greens into a plastic bag (with all air removed). Place your collards into a crisp drawer in the fridge! For long term storage, blanch and place in freezer.

Fun Facts: While Collard greens are typically considered a southern staple, this nutritious green dates back to prehistoric times and can be found in cuisines ranging from African to Indian to Portuguese. Collards are members of the same veggie family as cabbage and kale. The dark green leaves are deliciously stewed down with a piece of smoked ham or turkey and a touch of vinegar-based hot sauce. Greens should be stiff, without signs of spotting or wilting, best to use within a few days – will become tough and bitter with age, store in fridge.

Collard greens can be purchased year-round. Although, they taste better in the cold months (Jan-April).

*Substantial amounts of vitamin K, and rich sources of Vitamin A, C, and manganese

Get local collards by joining our Farm Share or shopping at farmer’s markets, then share your favorite preparations through our Facebook page.

Lemony Collard Greens Pasta

Recipe from Cookie and Kate

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces fresh collard greens (about 10 big leaves)

  • ⅓ or more of a package of whole wheat thin spaghetti or “spaghettini”

  • 3 tablespoons pine nuts

  • olive oil

  • 2 small cloves garlic, pressed

  • big pinch red pepper flakes

  • sea salt and black pepper

  • 1 ounce Parmesan cheese

  • ½ or more of a lemon, cut into wedges

Instructions

  • Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to directions. Drain quickly, reserving a bit of cooking water, and set aside.

  • Cut out the center rib of each collard green. Stack a few greens at a time and roll them up into a cigar-like shape. Slice across the roll as thinly as possible (⅛″ to ¼″). Shake up the greens and give them a few chops so the strands aren’t so long.

  • Heat a heavy-bottomed 12″ skillet over medium heat and toast the pine nuts until they start to turn golden and fragrant. Pour them out of the skillet and save for later.

  • Return the skillet to medium heat and pour in a tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle in a big pinch of red pepper flakes and the garlic and stir. Once the oil is hot enough to shimmer, toss in all of your collard greens. Sprinkle the greens with salt. Stirring often (try not to let them clump), sauté the greens for about three minutes.

  • Remove the pan from heat. Scoop the greens into the pasta pot and toss with another drizzle of olive oil, adding pasta water if necessary. Divide onto plates, top with pine nuts and Parmesan shavings and serve with two big lemon wedges per person.

Brazilian Collard Greens

From “New York Time Cooking”  by Francis Lam

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds young collards, thick stems removed

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 9 cloves garlic, minced

  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  • Wash leaves and drain, but don’t dry. Stack a few leaves, with a large one on the bottom, and roll them up in a tight cylinder, so the stem runs along the length of the roll. Hold it tightly, and shave it crosswise into very thin ribbons. Cut all the greens this way.

  • In a large skillet or Dutch oven over high heat, heat the oil until shimmering, add garlic and stir. When the garlic is golden, add the collards, and cook, tossing thoroughly with tongs, until they’re all dark green, tender with a little bit of crunch. Add salt to taste.

Unlike slow-cooked southern American treatments of this vegetable, this version retains the collards’ vibrant color and satisfying crunch. —Francis Lam

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