Collard Greens

• 2 10oz bags precut and pre-washed collard greens. Rinsed.
• 2 cans low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1.5 tbsp red pepper flakes
• 1 smoked turkey wing (both parts)
• 1 tbsp garlic
• 2 tbsp olive oil, or bacon fat

1. In a large pot or dutch oven, melt bacon fat, if using. Or add olive oil. Add diced onion and cook until yellow and translucent.
2. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook about 30 seconds.
3. Pour in both cans of chicken broth and add turkey wings. Bring to boil and then cover. Lower heat to keep at a simmer for 30 minutes (low to medium low).
4. Add collard greens. Stir them up, so they all get wet. They will begin to wilt pretty quickly, and you’ll be able to get them all in the pot.
5. Cover and cook on low for 60 minutes or longer until the tenderness you want.
6. Remove turkey wings. You can shred the meat and add back to the pot, or throw away. Smoked turkey has a very ham like taste.
7. Serve with tabasco or Trappey’s peppers in vinegar sauce. I like to mix the collards into plain white rice, but they are also good with mac and cheese.

I didn’t grow up with collard greens, but I did grow up with cooked spinach, which I still don’t like. Spinach gets too soft and too slimy for me, but collards are sturdier greens. I had them at a restaurant once (they called them turkey greens), so I figured out how to cook them the way I like them by reading a lot of recipes and then adapting based on what I had on hand. Many recipes will call for a turkey leg or ham hocks, but I use the turkey wings. One packet that has three turkey wing parts is $5 at my local Safeway. I use two for the recipe and freeze the third part. Then the next time I buy a packet, I use two and freeze the third one, so two packages gets me three pots of greens.

I think the texture of collard greens is much nicer than kale. When cooked for an hour, they’re almost melty and are delicious added to plain white rice. They’re also difficult to over cook. Tonight I served greens with white rice, and grilled chicken breasts (marinated and grilled for 20 minutes).