Collard Greens

By Adam Calder
Wheatsfield Produce Manager

Green and glossy, tasty and tender, collard greens are a summer time staple in many gardens. A nutritious member of the brassica family (which includes kale, cauliflower, cabbage and broccoli), a serving of collard greens has 4 grams of fiber, protein, 339% of the daily value of vitamin K, and is a rich source (20% or more) of the daily value of vitamins A, C, and manganese. They are a moderate source of vitamin B6 and calcium.

Although they are likely native to the Mediterranean, collard greens are now grown all over the world, in East Africa, Europe, Brazil, Portugal, Zimbabwe, and the United States, especially the southern states. They have been grown since antiquity, when they were grown in the gardens of Greeks and Romans.

Collards have changed little since humans started growing them, and the collards we have today are essentially the same ones grown by those ancient Greek and Roman Gardeners. They are an earlier, more primitive form of cabbage. Even though cabbage was bred from collards, and is a more advanced form of the brassica, the virtues of collards as a valuable garden plant caused gardeners to continue to grow them.

They do not have a tight, compact head like cabbage, so collard greens are less susceptible to fungal disease caused by high humidity. They grow well in poor soil and a wide variety of climates, although they have the best flavor when grown in cooler climates.

Because of their ease of cultivation and nutritional content, collard greens were widely grown in the southern United States during the time of slavery, and slaves used these greens to supplement their rations. Collard greens are still widely available in the southern states, and there are several collard green festivals to honor the culinary heritage of this humble green.

Many people cook collard greens with smoked, fatty meat like bacon or ham hocks. In Portugal, they make a healthy and delicious soup called Caldo Verde.

We have ample stock of local, organic collard greens from Flint Ridge in Kalona, Iowa, so stop in soon and grab a bunch of these flavorful, healthy greens for your next meal.

Caldo Verde

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 tablespoon thinly sliced garlic
1 lb. potatoes cut into 1-inch cubes
½ lb. linguica sausage link (Portuguese sausage)
6 c. chicken broth
2 cups stemmed and thinly sliced collard greens

DIRECTIONS:
In a large, heavy pot, heat oil and sauté the onions and garlic, about five minutes. Add the potatoes, whole sausage link, and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Remove the sausage, add the collard greens, and cook over medium heat for five to ten minutes, or util the collard greens soften. The soup can be eaten as is, or pureed with a blender for a thicker soup. Slice the sausage link, serve on top of bowls of soup.