Collard Greens

Place 1½ quarts water in a large pot. Add red pepper and meat and boil for about 1 hour while preparing greens. To prepare greens, discard damaged or yellow parts of leaves. Cut away tough stems from each leaf and wash collards thoroughly until rinse water is clear of dirt and grit. Collard leaves are large and usually require cutting before cooking. To do so, fold leaf in half at its center vein, fold over once or twice, then cut them in half with scissors or a knife. Add remaining ingredients to meat in boiling water, then the greens. Cover and cook rapidly for about ½ hour or until greens are tender but firm. Serve with diced raw onions and vinegar.

"Pot Likker"

The liquid in which greens have been cooked is called pot likker (liqueur). It is renowned for its nutritional value and can be used as an excellent vegetable stock for soups, as a soup in its own right, or traditionally to dunk corn bread. Pot likker can be enriched by tying several mustard and turnip stems in a bunch and cooking them with the greens. Discard stems when the greens are done.

Enjoy,

Salina Gary