Despite the rain, our markets are in full swing - we are still spending each Saturday at the market on South Chestnut Street in Butler and we have added the Tarentum market on Wednesdays to our list, as well.
One of the items that haven't been selling as well is the collard greens, which is such a shame - they're so good (and good for you)! Truthfully, like myself up until last week, most people don't know what to do with these vitamin-A and K-rich leaves, so I'm posting the recipe for the lunch I made today with the collards left over from yesterday's market.
Collards with Bacon
Ingredients:
- 1 bunch of collard greens
- 6-8 slices of bacon
- 1 small candy onion
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 Tbsp of powdered hot pepper (your choice)
- 1 sprig of roughly chopped fennel (optional)
- crumbled goat or feta cheese (optional)
Directions:
Rinse your collard greens, then rip them from their stems and tear them into small pieces, about the size of the palm of your hand.
Free tip: keep the stems and unused leaves for mulching - it's free and effective!
Once shredded, set aside on a tray or plate to air-dry while you cook your bacon.
While still stacked tightly in their packaged state, cut your bacon into four chunks. Peel apart each chunk to separate.
Next, chop your onion into minced-sized pieces. Throw the onion in a small bowl, then smash and chop your garlic (I really like garlic with collards, but if three cloves is too much for you, use whatever you feel is best tasting). If using fennel, chop now and set aside.
Free tip: before frying the bacon, take any kettle, clean pots, etc. off your stove to guard them against grease splatters.
It's cooking time now! Starting your stove burner on "high," add your first few pieces of bacon to your skillet - as bacon grease starts to pool in the pan, turn the heat to "medium." While your bacon cooks, prepare a cooling station by placing two paper towels over a cooling rack. Slightly cook the bacon on both sides, then transfer to your cooling station. Add more bacon and repeat, turning your burner down ever so slightly each time you add a new wave of uncooked bacon (this is because your bacon grease, or "fond," remains extremely hot and doesn't need the high settings to stay that way!). By the time you are done frying your bacon, your burner should be set to "low."
Once all of your bacon is cooked and on the cooling rack, it's time to cook your aromatics: add your chopped onion to the fond and allow it to simmer for a minute or so. Stir, and then add the minced garlic. Now add your choice of powdered hot pepper (I used some of my dried powdered chile pepper from last year's crop, but you can use anything from paprika to cayenne). As soon as your aromatics have slightly browned, start adding your greens - add a handful at a time, then stir. Repeat until all the greens are mixed into the aromatics and have started to wilt. Now toss in your bacon bits (and chopped fennel, if desired).
Cover your skillet and let steam for 10-15 minutes, then stir. Cover and let steam another 10-15 minutes, then stir and serve with the crumbled cheese of your choice on top. Enjoy!
See some nice benefits of collards below, complements of nutrition-and-you.com:
