how do I cook greens-_Kale, Collard Gr., etc. ??

nancree said:

I need advice on cooking various greens, such as Kale, Collard Greens,
etc. Recently they have been included in some orders at nice
restaurants, and I find them delicious. Tonight I cooked Collard
Greens for the first time, but they seemed a little bitter. I sauted
them in a small amount of bacon fat, garlic, olive oil--stir-fried
them. How do you cook them? Is one kind better than another? Should I
have added a bit of sugar to the mix? Would appreciate any advice.
TIA
Nancree

Nancree,

My husband boils his down for a good hour and a half with ham hocks and some
greens seasoning (what's in that, I have no idea!). I personally don't care
for greens, but I've heard that Collard Greens are more bitter than mustard
or kale. Good luck!

kili

I would have done what you did. Maybe more salt than you would think,
and some lemon (or vinegar, but I prefer lemon) to cut the bitterness?

I would also braise them after sauteeing, in whatever liquid seems
appropriate - water, stock, tomato broth from the can of tomatoes. I
think, but am not positive (you food science types check me on this)
that braising in liquid mellows the bitterness of the greens. They
aren't really intended for quick sauteeing or stir fries, unless you
get the miniature winter greens we see here in California. But even
those are labeled "braising mix".

I wouldn't dump in a quart of liquid, just enough to keep the greens
wet while braising for a good while (20 minutes? - I just check
frequently to see, haven't timed it)

I have a recipe from the NYC Union Square Farmers' Market, xeroxed and
handed out at the stand 15 years ago, for Kenyan greens. It involves
sauteeing, some lemon juice and red pepper flakes. Braising after
sauteeing is definitely part of the technique. The greens were supposed
to be kale and/or collard. If you really want me to I will try to find
where I filed this and post a real recipe, not these vague guidelines.

Leila

kilikini said:

My husband boils his down for a good hour and a half with ham hocks and some
greens seasoning (what's in that, I have no idea!). I personally don't care
for greens, but I've heard that Collard Greens are more bitter than mustard
or kale. Good luck!

I tried collards exactly ONCE. They are VERY bitter. Maybe
if someone who knows what they're doing cooks them and adds
something "special" they aren't - but I'd never eaten or
cooked them before and I won't do it again.

sf

sf said:

kilikini said:

My husband boils his down for a good hour and a half with ham

hocks and some

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

greens seasoning (what's in that, I have no idea!). I personally

don't care

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

for greens, but I've heard that Collard Greens are more bitter

than mustard

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

or kale. Good luck!

I tried collards exactly ONCE. They are VERY bitter. Maybe
if someone who knows what they're doing cooks them and adds
something "special" they aren't - but I'd never eaten or
cooked them before and I won't do it again.

sf

Collards are only bitter if they contain too much nitrogen. The ones
you ate had been picked too late, or cooked too late after having been
picked. Collards should be picked early (young) and cooked the same
day - or the next - after they are picked.

hth,
-L.

nancree said:

I need advice on cooking various greens, such as Kale, Collard

Greens,

Quoted message said:

etc. Recently they have been included in some orders at nice
restaurants, and I find them delicious. Tonight I cooked Collard
Greens for the first time, but they seemed a little bitter. I sauted
them in a small amount of bacon fat, garlic, olive oil--stir-fried
them. How do you cook them? Is one kind better than another? Should

I

Quoted message said:

have added a bit of sugar to the mix? Would appreciate any advice.
TIA
Nancree

The bitterness is related to the amount of nitrogen in the greens - see
my reply to sf.

I steam the heck out of them, drain and *then* season them. My MIL
seasons them with ham bone, or bacon, etc. while they are cooking. I
just add a little butter or margerine, salt, pepper and a tad of
Italian dressing, after steaming. the best greens are those you grow
yourself - because you can control the conditions under which they are
grown. Most greens are best purchased in the Spring.

-L.

On Mon 07 Feb 2005 10:59:24p, nancree wrote in rec.food.cooking:

Quoted message said:

I need advice on cooking various greens, such as Kale, Collard Greens,
etc. Recently they have been included in some orders at nice
restaurants, and I find them delicious. Tonight I cooked Collard
Greens for the first time, but they seemed a little bitter. I sauted
them in a small amount of bacon fat, garlic, olive oil--stir-fried
them. How do you cook them? Is one kind better than another? Should I
have added a bit of sugar to the mix? Would appreciate any advice.
TIA
Nancree

Collard greens, in particular, tend to more bitterness. Whether or not you
saute first, there should always be liquid involved. My Mississippi
grandmother always cooked collard greens in combination with some other type
like turnip greens or mustard greens because she felt that collard greens
alone were too strongly flavored. She also added a little sugar to the
cooking water. Greens were always served with some vinegar in which small
hot peppers had been steeped. Most often, she cooked greens with a smoked
ham hock or added some bacon fat.

HTH
Wayne

In article <[email hidden]>,

nancree said:

I need advice on cooking various greens, such as Kale, Collard Greens,
etc.

I agree with the other posters' suggestion to mix greens. I mix
collards with turnip greens and like the combination much better than
collards alone.

My recipe involves browning and then braising a smoked ham hock (or
even a ham steak slice) for about an hour (ham slice for maybe a third
or half of that time) and then adding the greens. Make sure to remove
the ribs from the leaves; IMHO they don't add anything to the dish.
Braise for up to another hour, until the greens are soft. Don't use
too much water -- you want _some_ to make "pot likker" for your
cornbread (you are serving cornbread, right?) but you don't want
"greens soup." Add a splash of vinegar and a couple shakes of pepper
sauce. I prefer to serve mine with tomatoes (canned and drained are
okay if it's not the month in which we can get good local tomatoes) or
salsa and cornbread and maybe some more pepper sauce. Surprisingly
filling and nutritious (if a little high in sodium).

sd

nancree said:

I need advice on cooking various greens, such as Kale, Collard Greens,
etc. Recently they have been included in some orders at nice
restaurants, and I find them delicious. Tonight I cooked Collard
Greens for the first time, but they seemed a little bitter. I sauted
them in a small amount of bacon fat, garlic, olive oil--stir-fried
them. How do you cook them? Is one kind better than another? Should I
have added a bit of sugar to the mix? Would appreciate any advice.
TIA
Nancree

If I have recently cook a country ham and have a piece of "hock," I
use that to season the greens. Otherwise, I do something along the
following line.

Leonard

@@@@@ Now You're Cooking! Export Format

Esau's Winter Greens

vegetables

1 Tbsp peanut oil
1/3 c apple-smoked bacon; chopped
1/2 c white onion; finely chopped
1 tbsp garlic; minced
16 c collard greens (about 2 large bunch; washed, stemmed, & choppe
3/4 c chicken stock
24 ozs light ale
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tbsps red wine vinegar
salt
1/8 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp black pepper; freshly ground

Heat the oil in a heavy -bottomed non reactive pot over medium heat.
Add
the bacon and cook for 4-5 minutes or until crisp. Remove the bacon
and
reserve.

Add the onion to the hot fat and cook, stirring occassionally, for 4
minutes or until it starts to soften. Add the garlic and cook for 1
minute.

Return the bacon to the pot and add the greens, stock, ale, sugar,
vinegar,
and 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring the greens to a rapid simmer and cook,
stirring occassionally, for about 45 minutes or until they are
thoroughly
cooked and tender. Season with the cayenne pepper, black pepper, and
more
salt to taste. Serve immediately.

Source:
"Louis Osteen's Charleston Cuisine"

"nancree" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I need advice on cooking various greens, such as Kale, Collard Greens,
etc. Recently they have been included in some orders at nice
restaurants, and I find them delicious. Tonight I cooked Collard
Greens for the first time, but they seemed a little bitter. I sauted
them in a small amount of bacon fat, garlic, olive oil--stir-fried
them. How do you cook them? Is one kind better than another? Should I
have added a bit of sugar to the mix? Would appreciate any advice.

I use just a little bit of olive oil to caramelize some sliced onions. Then
I throw in some trimmed and chopped swiss chard (for example) that is still
wet from rincing, and some coarsely chopped garlic. Cover and steam until
done. Season with salt and pepper.

sf said:

kilikini said:

My husband boils his down for a good hour and a half with ham hocks
and some greens seasoning (what's in that, I have no idea!). I
personally don't care for greens, but I've heard that Collard
Greens are more bitter than mustard or kale. Good luck!

I tried collards exactly ONCE. They are VERY bitter. Maybe
if someone who knows what they're doing cooks them and adds
something "special" they aren't - but I'd never eaten or
cooked them before and I won't do it again.

sf

I prefer turnip greens over collards any day. And yes, they should be
boiled (but don't have to be cooked to total mush). A bit of cooked bacon
or salt pork thrown in the pot (or a ham hock) adds a lot.

Jill

nancree said:

I need advice on cooking various greens, such as Kale, Collard Greens,
etc. Recently they have been included in some orders at nice
restaurants, and I find them delicious. Tonight I cooked Collard
Greens for the first time, but they seemed a little bitter. I sauted
them in a small amount of bacon fat, garlic, olive oil--stir-fried
them. How do you cook them? Is one kind better than another? Should I
have added a bit of sugar to the mix? Would appreciate any advice.
TIA
Nancree

Go pick so smaller, younger leaves. Wash and put in pot with about 1/2
- 2 cups of water. Cook for about 30 minutes with some bacon grease.
Not at all bitter.

--
Susan N.

"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral, 48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974)

nancree said:

I need advice on cooking various greens, such as Kale, Collard Greens,
etc. Recently they have been included in some orders at nice
restaurants, and I find them delicious. Tonight I cooked Collard
Greens for the first time, but they seemed a little bitter. I sauted
them in a small amount of bacon fat, garlic, olive oil--stir-fried
them. How do you cook them? Is one kind better than another? Should I
have added a bit of sugar to the mix? Would appreciate any advice.
TIA
Nancree

First cut out all the large vanes.
Then wash them as well as you would spinach.
Add bacon fat to a pan and then add the collards, they will wilt down
tremendously.

The are bitter, serve with hot sauce.

I have never heard of adding sugar to them, but your the one eating
them.

Now all this said, I do not eat them, this is how I cook them for
others.

Pan Ohco

A dear friend, who lives in North Carolina, recently sent me the
instructions for cooking greens. I have never eaten greens and wanted
to try them, so she tried to tell me everything I might need to know.
The market where I usually shop has not had any greens, this week, but
I'm hoping to find them somewhere else today.

Oh.."Pork Seasoning" that she mentions is Sazón Goya, a great ham
flavored seasoning that is good in beans and soups.

Here is her letter..just as she sent it to me.
jillie
Roseville, CA

No biggy cooking greens, if you do it once and they come out good
you've got it
made.......
First of all people in the South wait until the frost hits the greens
(that really makes
them tender and delicious) up North we cook them all summer..( this
goes for
Collards, Mustard, Kale, turnips and slick greens)....but I would clean
them (look
for worms) then roll the leaves (like rolled cigars) cut them up and I
would put
them into a bag and put into the freezer to "frost" and then take them
out to cook .
.....HOWEVER, if you want to freeze them to last for the winter....clean
them,
roll them up and slice them (about an inch wide) put them into a
colander >
then into boiling water for a minute or so (this is to shrink them)
then dump them
into cold water to stop the cooking > then into a strainer to drain the
water > put
into plastic bags (I weigh mine and bag a lb a bag < that's enough for
two people
one meal.....
After all that are you tired : )
If you just want to cook a meal for the night clean them cut them
up put them into the freezer for an hour or so (or overnight)
..( or just go ahead and cook them without putting them in the
freezer)..
fry some bacon, or salt pork ( unless you happen to have some Old
southern
Ham< I doubt that one) Or use at least two packages of that "Pork
Seasoning"
Tom sent you (watch adding salt using that one) frying the bacon with
canola oil
is good , but not Olive oil , different taste......cook greens until
they are tender....
...Think I gave you the low down but if I missed something don't
hesitate to ask
again.....

That is a great recipe. It must be from Ginny. I would try it, but
nobody else would even look at it.

Jillie, did you see Peggy's post in rec.food.baking yesterday? She
sure could use some help with her bread baking.

Thanks to all of you who offered advice on cooking collard greens. It
looks like my main mistake was not braising them after sauteeing. I
was just stir-frying them. Also, I'll try another kind next time, kale
or swiss chard, for instance. And serving them with vinegar sounds
good, too. RFC is wonderful, isn't it? Just like having your kitchen
full of friends.
Nancree

Thanks to all of you who offered advice on cooking collard greens. It
looks like my main mistake was not braising them after sauteeing. I
was just stir-frying them. Also, I'll try another kind next time, kale
or swiss chard, for instance. And serving them with vinegar sounds
good, too. RFC is wonderful, isn't it? Just like having your kitchen
full of friends.
Nancree

Thanks to all of you who offered advice on cooking collard greens. It
looks like my main mistake was not braising them after sauteeing. I
was just stir-frying them. Also, I'll try another kind next time, kale
or swiss chard, for instance. And serving them with vinegar sounds
good, too. RFC is wonderful, isn't it? Just like having your kitchen
full of friends.
Nancree

Hi, Margaret,

Didn't see the message, but did send Peggy pictures and some
suggestions for her bread. She is trying to make it rocket science and
it's just flour, water and yeast. Hope I got her on the right track.

And yes, it is Ginny's recipe. Wish I could go take cooking lessons
from her for about a month!

Michael, the bread we're talking about is Ciabatta..done partly in the
bread machine. I'd be happy to send you the recipe and some (I hope)
helpful pictures of the procedure.
jillie
Roseville, CA

nancree said:

I need advice on cooking various greens, such as Kale, Collard Greens,
etc. Recently they have been included in some orders at nice
restaurants, and I find them delicious. Tonight I cooked Collard
Greens for the first time, but they seemed a little bitter. I sauted
them in a small amount of bacon fat, garlic, olive oil--stir-fried
them. How do you cook them? Is one kind better than another? Should I
have added a bit of sugar to the mix? Would appreciate any advice.
TIA
Nancree

Welll, I'm of the "boil the hell outa 'em" school
of greens cookery. Dump them in a big pot of water
and through in some smoked ham hocks and cook until
they surrender. I've tried them cooked other ways
and it just doesn't do it for me.

Kate

--
Kate Connally
“If I were as old as I feel, I’d be dead already.”
Goldfish: “The wholesome snack that smiles back,
Until you bite their heads off.”
What if the hokey pokey really *is* what it's all about?
[email hidden]