RECIPE: Collard Greens Tips

Collards contain 8 times as much Vitamin A as cabbage and twice as much as broccoli.  There is more vitamin C in a serving of collards than in a glass of orange juice!

Storage Tips:

• Store collards unwashed in a plastic bag in the drawer in your fridge.         
• Will keep for up to 2 weeks, but best when fresh.
• Although collards are best eaten fresh, they can also be frozen.  To freeze, clean and trim the leaves, cut them into strips, steam blanch them for 4 minutes, cool them quickly and pack them into a hard plastic container.

Preparation:                

• Wash the collard greens by swishing them in a bowl of water with a little bit of salt (to help draw any dirt away from the leaves).
• Slice out the main rib and slice it into chunks.  Slice the leaves into strips.                   
• Sautee garlic in olive oil, add sliced collards with a bit of water, cover and braise until collards become bright green, about 10 min.  Top with tamari, balsamic vinegar, or toasted sesame oil. 
• You can also add collards to stir fries.
• Combining collards with other greens (such as arugula, kale, mustard, chard or spinach) is also a wonderful way to prepare this vegetable.
• Cooking collards causes them to shrink down to 1/4 or 1/8 of their original volume.  Allow for 4-8 cups of greens per person.