What else can I do with collards?

[northside food]

I have a huge bundle of collards that I bought last week and haven't used up yet. Other than braising them with ham, or making caldo verde, what else can I try?

[mikeslie]

We've been getting waaay too many collards for my family to eat in the normal collard-y way, so I just followed a zucchini bread recipe and substituted an overripe mashed banana and ground collards (stems removed) for the zucchini. I also threw in some chocolate chips for good measure. It turned out really well.

[kolgrim]

I mash up garlic, sea salt, crushed red pepper and anchovies in my mortar. I then fry this in olive oil with currants, then toss in some collards, torn into bite size pieces. Stir, pop a lid on it and serve when tender.

[PurpleTeeth]

Damm that sounds good. Love anything with good anchovies.

[lgss]

Steam and serve with pasta or rice and hummus.

[lgss]

Cut in ribbons, steam, top with a mixture of peanut butter and salsa for Masamba. Serve with potatoes.

[northside food]

I'm having a hard time visualizing this one. What does it taste like?

[lgss]

Hard to describe other than like the ingredients...try it. It's a comfort food at our house, often the meal we make after we've been traveling. Unfortunately, I have to avoid greens for a while :-( .

[Foodielicious]

Rinse the collards, remove the tough stems, roll the remaining leaves into tubes, and slice them into thin strips: sort of collard fettuccine. Drop the strips into a pan of sizzling oil with plenty of garlic (best to do this part in batches, so you don't crowd the pan or get too much liquid interfering with the oil). Once your greens are wilted and bright green, toss them with salt and pepper to taste. This is great as a side-dish by itself or you can toss it with pasta and parmesan cheese; throw in some fried tofu with green onions and soy or oyster sauce to serve with rice or Chinese noodles; float the greens in a bowl of hot white bean soup and garnish with some fruity olive oil. All tasty treatments for collards and quite different from the silky Southern style we're used to.

[northside food]

I'll definitely try them this way. Thank you!

[PurpleTeeth]

Collard & Italian Sausage pasta: Squeeze fresh italian sausage out of it's casing. Sautee in fry pan until brown. Add thinly sliced collards (spines removed) and glass of white wine. Cover and let soften for approx 20 min until you like the texture. Uncover and add pasta water and let simmer until thicker. Toss with rigatoni and Romano cheese. Drizzle with Olive oil at the table

[Phurstluv]

Ooo, that sounds right up my alley - will have to try it, thanks!

[northside food]

This sounds like a winner. Thanks!

[viperlush]

I've made a similar dish. Added left over sweet potatoes on a whim and it was really good.

Maybe more of a cold weather recipe but this winter I made a couple batches of Pork,White Bean, and Kale soup. http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/lf_hl... I used only half of the smoked paprika and it still had a nice smoky flavor

[Michelly]

Garlicky Black-Eyed Peas & Green -yummy, easy, cheap, and healthy!
Rinse 3/4 - 1 lb collard greens; slice off spines & coarsely chop. In wide-bottomed pot, heat 1-2 T olive oil over med. heat. Saute 1-2 minced cloves garlic for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add damp greens and continue to stir until wilted but still bright green. Dump in 3x15 oz cans black eyed peas that have been rinsed and drained, 3/4 c stock (any kind), and 3 T butter (optional), and mix. Squeeze in 1-4 wedges of lemon or lime. Adjust salt and pepper. Serve over rice and sprinkled with chopped scallions, and/or hot sauce.
Notice the flexibility of the amounts. And if you tweak the recipe, let me know what you come up with, OK?

[Querencia]

Go Southern. Cook the collards all day (or night) in your crock pot with some pieces of ham. Have this with sweet potatoes and roast chicken or pork. Cornbread wouldn't hurt, either. This combination will make you wish you could swallow faster.

[Phurstluv]

This is what I do with them all the time, but I don't use a crock pot, and braise them in only about a 1/2 hour. But the suggestion to do them in the crock all day is good, I may have to try it that way next time.

But, I think the OP wanted recipes other than the good ol' Southern standby!

[northside food]

Yeah, I've got three southern style recipes. I'm looking for something different. But thanks!

[Phurstluv]

They can be used to wrap fish fillets with and steamed or braised in some stock.

[Sam Fujisaka]

1. Stuffed and steamed: Cut away the spines, stuff with mix of ground pork, ground beef, egg, chopped green onion, garlic, ginger, chiles, add some fish sauce. Roll up tight and steam.

2. Quick stir fies: with chicken and fermented black beans for example.

[northside food]

I've thought about stir frying them before, but I'm worried that they are too tough for quick cooking. How do you get around this?

[Sam Fujisaka]

I remove the spines, cut in 2" lengths and simmer; cut leaves cross-wise, toss in the aromatics and softened spines, and finally the leaves. The leafy parts will stir fry quite quickly.

[northside food]

Ah ha! Thank you. I usually just chop mine, stem, spine and leaf.