Those are beautiful collards!

I realize looking at them that something isn't right about mine. I think I'm growing "Georgia" but only one of the plants has the form yours have in the pictures. Either I'm doing something wrong or I bought some bad seeds. Maybe I waited too long to thin them.

I roll the collard leaves and slice them as thin as possible, almost shred them. Then I saute them in good olive oil with some garlic and salt. Sometimes I add a little hot pepper while cooking, or hot pepper vinegar or just lemon at the table. They have a bit more "bite" than other greens cooked this way. I like the texture but it would be too much for some.

My mom will deep fry a handful of shredded collards. It's rich, but very good. The leaves turn very light and crisp.

Thanks for the pics. (Though they've made me dissatisfied with my collards!_)

Bill

Your collards are beautiful and all you veggie gardeners have really inspired me to plant more. I've missed out on the summer except for the tomatoes and peppers and looking for yard long beans. Does anyone know if these are readily available locally or mostly online? I'll never have a big garden, but thinking more of planting veggies with the other plants like so many of you have mentioned.

Your recipe sounds like what I grew up with. Yummy!!

Ginny

Beautiful Collards Christine!
The best part they are easy to grow. No need to spray. Good nutrition!
I will include them next fall in my garden. I would use them in a Mexican style tortilla soup (like I had them in Arizona:-) Cooking the chopped collards with the chicken. Yum!

If I had to many Collards I would freeze them:
Remove imperfect leaves, trim away tough midribs and tough stems; cut large leaves in pieces. Wash carefully, lifting the leaves from the water to let silt settle.
Blanch. In boiling water, and shake the pot to keep the leaves separated-for 3 minutes. (Steam-blanching causes leaf vegetables to mat, and thus prevents correct blanching.) Cool immediately; drain.
Pack. Leave 1/2 inch of headroom. Seal; freeze.

I hope others share their favorite recipes.
Silvia

Collard Pizza.

Purchase a store brand thin crust cheese pizza from Publix or Winn Dixie (or Kasha brand if on sale). Chop the collards as noted above (chop stem separately). Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with feta cheese. Bake store bought pizza according to directions. Tastes like a million bucks.

By the way, this month's issue of Florida Gardening Magazine showed a picture of a collard "tree" that was over 6' tall.

Bill---Collards need a lot of room as you can see from the picture. I spaced them about 2 feet apart. They are growing in a lot of compost and some mulch on top. I did not fertilize during the winter cooler weather.

I like the idea of shredding the leaves since they normally take such a long time to cook. I am going to try your pan fry method the collards and with some red Russian kale that I have. The leaves on those plants are really getting big and the flavor is milder.

Ginny---I bought my yardlong bean seeds online. After you grow them you can save some seeds for next time because the seeds are not hybrid.

Silvia---I like your way of blanching the leaves. I do have some fully cooled collards frozen already but there is only so much ham or other flavored broth I have available. If I blanch them I can flavor them later. Cooking leaves in with a chicken sounds good too.

imatallun --- Collard pizza. Well, I would have never thought of that one. Good idea. I can't find my April issue of FL Gardening Mag because I think that I didn't get it. I'll check it out, the "tree" collard article.

Christine

i grow a lot of collards (champion), too. it's one of the veg plants that i grow that doesn't require full sun--mine are somewhat shaded, and grow exuberantly and pest free. with the bit of shade, i think they'd be perennial if i let them.

i make a great beans and greens pasta from cook's illustrated magazine--it's an involved recipe and not available online, but it's great.

two other things i do with them:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Brown-Butter-Creamed-Winter-Greens-241192

(like a richer, more interesting creamed spinach)

and

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Collard-Potato-Salad-with-Mustard-Dressing-11644

(this potato salad is VERY good and healthful. we eat it as our main course all the time.)

I like knowing others who grow collards and are kind enough to share them !

I use a large and deep pan to melt bacon grease - at least a tablespoon or two .
Add chopped greens - I use all of it even the mid rib .
Stir in one heaping teaspoon sugar .
Add 1/4 cup water or broth if available .
Boil this for ten minutes - lower heat and simmer for 20 mins more .
Add salt to taste and before serving add several generous glugs of red wine vinegar .
Hot pepper vinegar is even better .
Serve over rice .
Yumm !

mary, anytime you want collards, i can give you a TON. just ask.

This is a good, easy, complete meal recipe for collards cooked with ribs that comes out great if you make a few modifications. First, after you use about half of the orange juice mixture to coat the ribs add more orange juice to make more cooking liquid for the collards. Secondly, reduce the cooking temperature to 425 at the highest, 475 will burn the collards to a crisp. Lastly, cook for the first half of the cooking time with the casserole dish covered. And make sure to stir the collards fairly frequently to keep them moistened. Can't wait to try some of these other recipes, especially that collard and potato salad recipe.

Here is a link that might be useful: garlicky collards with ribs

I've printed the recipes and made copious notes regarding corrections. I do believe that the potatoe salad recipe will end up on my Easter dinner table. Thanks for a great thread and contributions, everyone.

P.S. My pizza recipe came from my dear friend and neighbor and fellow forum member Ms. Mary O'M. Mary uses whatever green is popping up in her garden like sliced tomatoes, scallions, arugula, etc.

Collard greens take on that almost nutty taste when baked, sort of like roasted brocolli. Combine that with olive oil and cheese and it's quite delectable (and best of all ... cheap and easy!)

My dad used to make a collard quiche. He used a basic spinach quiche recipe that he found, substituting collards for spinach, but his recipe included a bit of baking soda to lighten up the final result. He can't find the recipe anymore, and neither can I, so I've experimented with collards and with broccoli leaves (once they're done making broccoli) with various combos.

I'm no good at recipes, but what I've found with my experimenting is that you need twice as much egg mixture as shredded and tightly packed (into the measuring cup) veggie.

For my egg mixture I use: a pinch of salt, a pinch of white pepper and a pinch of baking powder and as much grated cheese as eggs (a cup of eggs, a cup of grated cheese.) And I use strong, dry cheese, usually romano. Mix all that with well beaten eggs and I've found it gives a good base for a quiche. Then I just throw my egg mixture into the blender with half as much of whatever leaves/veggies I want to put in the quiche.

I pour everything into a store-bought pie shell that I've already browned.

For a really good quiche, I cook up some bacon first and crumble it in the pie shell before I pour the mixture in.

Wish I were better at recipes, but my unmeasuring works for me.

And I'm about to rip up the broccoli and cut up its leaves for a quiche.

Susannah

Dried and powdered collard leaves can be used like a spice. Adds an interesting taste.

When do you plant collards? I have some seedlings. Can I plant them now in North Florida?

flgator--sure. mine last until i throw them out in late may. so up there you've got until at least mid-june before the bugs get too bad. i know people who grow them perennially, but i bet you'll get sick of them by mid-summer anyway.

give them shade and rich soil.