The new year brings the Southern tradition of eating collard greens and field peas to bring good luck and prosperity for the coming year. (The greens represent cash while the peas symbolize coins.)
“Leftover greens are delicious reheated in a frying pan with roasted peanuts and crushed red peppers — a dish at once African, Southeast Asian and Lowcountry in flavor and spirit,” wrote cookbook author John Martin Taylor in his classic “Hoppin’ John’s Lowcountry Cooking” (1992).
In “New Southern Cooking” (1986) , cooking legend Nathalie Dupree wrote, “Since turnip greens and collards are considered antidotes for indigestion, it’s no wonder Southerners always serve them on New Year’s Day.” More on greens from Dupree.
Collards aren’t particular difficult to cook, but they can take awhile and be smelly (open a window). Put a gallon of water in a big pot and add a half a pound of smoked pork bones, smoked pork, fatback or bacon and bring to a boil for awhile. While waiting, wash collards thoroughly to avoid grittiness (they can be pretty dirty), discarding stems. Cut or tear into palm-sized pieces. Add collards to the pot and season with salt and pepper. Cook for a couple of hours.
Dupree suggests a slightly different method that adds an opening step. She suggests pre-boiling the cleaned, cut collards for a couple of minutes and then discarding the water to help remove the greens’ bitter taste. Then put the pre-boiled, unseasoned collards in the pot of seasoned water and cook for two to three hours.
Note: The juice from a pot of collards is called “pot-likker” and is tasty with cornbread.
Enjoy!
Help keep the City Paper free.
No paywalls.
No subscription cost.
Free delivery at 800 locations.
Help support independent journalism by donating today.