comfort food....of collard greens....at kitchen! kitchen!

Delicately sauteed collard greens with  thick diced ham and smoked kielbasa
 Its' slight bittter will surely delight your palate

I was first introduced to this simple dish of collard greens served as a side dish, in a restaurant in some small town in Kentucky on a road trip with friends. Collard greens has a slight better taste and normally served with barbecues. Well, not at kitchen! kitchen! This simple vegetable was the main attraction that evening at my kitchen. The dish reminds us of the simple life at the farm, of animals tucked in for the night in the barn, of the good earth and its' bounty. Nothing fancy, just a simple wonderful comfort food.

Here's what you need.....

2 bunches of collard greens
1/4 cup of browned bacon (thick bacon or ham) in my case, I had some left over thick ham slices that I cubed and browned.
1 medium onion chopped
3 cloves of chopped fresh garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt
A pinch or 2 of dried crushed red pepper
1/4 cup of stock/water

Simply do this......
Wash the collard greens and removed the tough stems; roughly chopped the greens.
In a large deep pan, cook the onions and garlic until soft for about 2 minutes. Throw in the ham or bacon, stirring for another 2 minutes. Then add the greens and the stock. Season with a little salt and dried red pepper. Cover and cook on medium low and simmer for 20-30 minutes until soft and all the stock has been absorbed. This wonderful vegetable is not to be rushed. It needs to be slowly simmered, and you will be rewarded with the soft, velvety taste in your mouth.
Serve with fork tender boiled meat or kielbasa and DIJON MUSTARD. It's all the comfort you need.