Those of you who know me well know that the only “greens” I grew up eating were spinach and “salad”. We never ate collards, or “turnip salad”, or anything like them. Mark – however – grew up in Roxboro eating collard greens and turnip salad.

I tried the collard greens once, years ago, during a visit in Roxboro. They had lost all their vibrant green pigment and appeared to have been cooked for several days. I couldn’t eat them. So, despite Mark’s love for the “greens”, I’ve never prepared them for him … until tonight.

We joined a CSA (community supported agriculture) this year and have now had two weeks of produce. So far, the only things I’ve not been able to find some way to use have been the abundance of radishes. Personally, one radish a year is sufficient for me. This week the box included a healthy portion of Flash Collards – and I refuse to waste them. I knew there had to be a way to prepare them that wouldn’t kill them or me. Here’s the recipe I came up with, and it was REALLY good. I even ate some, and liked them. They weren’t the least bit bitter or sour.

Chloe’s Collards

One large bunch of collards
3-4 Tbs of Olive Oil
1 large clove Garlic (minced)
1 Leek washed and thinly sliced
Kosher Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper to taste

Rinse and pat dry the collards. Trim off the end of the stems. Stack the leaves one on top of the other and roll the bunch tightly from one side to the other (like a cigar). Thinly slice the leaves while rolled, slices not more than 1/8 of an inch wide. Set the collards aside.

Heat the olive oil in a saute pan. When it is warm, but not smoking, add the minced garlic and the leek slices. Saute for 2-3 minutes … until translucent, but not toasted or burnt. Add the collards and toss in the oil with tongs. Keep tossing in the pan for 1-2 minutes until the collards are bright green and have softened a bit. DO NOT over cook. Turn off the heat. Add fresh ground pepper and kosher salt to taste. Serve immediately. Enjoy.