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Golden Collards | yld: 6 servings, 2 qts

Level: beginners | Time: 45mins

Golden Collards may be made from basic collards, ginger, and alliums. The coconut milk and stock build velvety volume and thickening from just a few teaspoons of slurry- or cornstarch starter. Blooming spice treatment sends a zip down your spine: cumin, coriander, turmeric, pepper powders, fennel seed.

A delicious combination of ease and flavor:

This dish was made after spending a windy fall day in mi jardín. Long off work days in the garden seed a rhythm of organization. Verdant collard leaves met my hands and a big pile begins to form. The cool briskness reminds me of collecting these special Appalachian Utopia Seed Project brassicas from Keelan one chilly afternoon in south Atlanta.

Today, over 20 cross collard trees stand proud n flared in my 1/4 acre growing lot I rent in NW Atlanta. Throughout the year, the collards are slowly peeled back either to thin out or for grazing/guisados, eventually though some are shifted around as perennials.

A 30 minute cook time on medium-low heat helps evolve and unfold flavors into nutrients. Hit up your favorite farmer for a big pile of greens, some ginger and alliums, and remember, a little stock and good salt can do wonders.

Tools: 6qt pot, wooden spoon, sharp knife + cutting board, salad spinner, whisk

Techniques: blooming spices, building a curry, cleaning / cooking hard greens, slurry

13 Ingredients:

Collards, 4 quarts chopped and cleaned

Ginger, 3 tablespoons minced

Garlic, 6 cloves minced

Alliums: leeks, chives, onions, scallions, 2 cups of a mix medium sized/diced

Spices: cumin 1tbsp, coriander tsp, turmeric 2 tbsp, fennel seed 1tsp, pepper powders 1tbsp

Coconut milk, 16 oz

Stock, veg/chick/etc, 8oz

Slurry, cornstarch : water, 2 tsp

Good salt, to taste

Amino acid, 2 tbsp

Vinegar, apple cider / champagne / white wine / rice wine, 3 tbsp

Sugar, 1 tbsp

Oil/fat, 4 tbsp

Procedure:

Prep Ingredients: Clean collards well, spin/ pat dry, size up and set aside in a bowl. Then mix a slurry together: combine 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water. Bloom your spices with oil, fat/combo by heating the pan up with oil, drop the seeds in first. Toast for 25-40secs. Remove the oil from heat and add remaining spices and 1 tbsp of salt, stir and set aside in small bowl.
Build Flavor: In the same pot, start all the alliums together: garlic and onions/ etc on medium heat. After 2-3mins, add 1 thick layer of collards, cook open for 1 minute, stirring then cover with lid. Steam for 1 minute and add in spice mix and another thick layer of collards.
Final Touches: Steam for another minute then submerge with coconut milk and stock, and slurry. Let this cook down for a couple of minutes before adding in remaining collards and ingredients. Cook down for 20mins on low heat and covered lid. Remaining 5 minutes are left uncovered.
Enjoy!

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Mari