The early collard greens in the CSA Shares have been huge and vibrant green. This beautiful green can be enjoyed many ways. Collards work surprisingly well raw, like in these collard rolls. If you’ve never tried collards this stewed dish with chunks of diced tomato is a great way to try them. The tomatoes neutralize any hint of bitterness. Let these cook until they’re melty, this dish doesn’t need to be bright green. Serve over rice for a simple meal. Feel free to amp this up with the addition of protein. Omnivores: try bacon or sausage. Vegetarians: your favorite bean. Chicken stock or vegetable stock will also make this dish more flavorful, although I enjoyed it thoroughly with just water as the cooking lid. It’s early in the season so I used diced canned tomatoes. If you make this dish later in the summer, add chunks of fresh tomatoes at the end of cooking in lieu of the canned. Start with breaking down the collards, remove the thick stems, roll into a bundle and slice in 1/2 inch wide strips.
Sweat the onions and garlic in the olive oil until they’re translucent. Add the tomatoes, simmer, and then add the greens and water.
Add the collards in batches, tossing with tongs until they wilt to make room for the rest. Add one cup of water or stock and simmer uncovered for 20 – 30 minutes until the collards are thoroughly cooked.
Stewed Collard Greens with Tomatoes
1 bunch of collard greens, washed, stems removed
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 large onion, diced
2 – 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup water or cooking stock
salt + pepper to taste
Roll collard leaves in to a large bundle. Slice into one inch ribbons.
Heat olive oil over medium heat. Cook onions and garlic over medium heat until onions soften and start to turn translucent. Add tomatoes to the pan, bring to a simmer. Add collard greens and a dash of salt + pepper, in batches, tossing with tongs to wilt. Add water to the pan and simmer on medium heat for 20 – 30 minutes until collards are thoroughly cooked. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
