Diane WatkinsIt seems the last holdouts in my winter garden are collard greens. Believe it or not, even with the weather we have had recently, I still have collards. Well, it is time to begin getting ready for the spring garden, so I am cooking the last of the collard greens.
How to Cook Collard Greens
- 1 large or 2 small ham hocks
- A mess of collards, as many as your pot will hold.
- Water or stock
- Salt, pepper, garlic salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Red pepper flakes, optional
- Pepper vinegar-for serving, optional
- Put the ham hocks in a large pot and add water or stock to cover them. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot and simmer for approximately 1 hour to extract the smoky goodness from the ham hocks.
- Meanwhile, trim the collards. Remove the center rib from each leaf and cut the collards into 1 to 2 -inch squares.
- Add the collards to the pot, along with the seasonings to your taste. (Except for pepper vinegar.)
- Simmer the collards, stirring occasionally, for about 45 minutes, until the collards are tender.
- Serve the collards sprinkled to taste with pepper vinegar.
- Don’t discard the “pot likker”, its considered the best part by some and it is definitely full of vitamins. Drink it or use it for soup, etc.
