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Collards and Kale

The growing season for most things is over in this temperate clime, but thankfully, some greens, notably collards and kale, and to a lesser degree, chard, will keep growing for some time. Some kales will even overwinter, and can be harvested from beneath the snow.

But we don't see these wonderful greens in the stores too much, and more's the pity. Besides being available fresh and in season when other veggies are not, they are a fine source of vitamins and minerals, and delicious when properly prepared.

Both kale and collards are somewhat tough, and take a knack to cook properly. Besides cooking them longer than some other greens, one trick is to cut them in a similar way as one would chiffonade leafy herbs like sage - roll the leaves up into a cylinder, then slice the cylinder as thinly as you can to make thin little collard or kale strips. These will cook more rapidly and become more tender than if you simply cook your greens whole or tear them into chunks.

The following is a simple recipe to help you get started using collards and kale.

Collard, Bean and Chicken Soup

5 Cups chicken broth
1 Tablespoon crushed garlic (one enormous or several smaller cloves)
1 large bunch Collards or kale
2 15oz cans white beans
chunks of leftover chicken
1 large boiled russett potato

I put this together one evening in order to get rid of some leftover poached chicken. If you don't have leftover poached chicken, you could just pan-fry a breast, cube it and throw it in.

Clean, stem and cut up the collards or kale. Bring broth to a simmer and toss in the collards, the beans, and the garlic. Peel and chop the spud and throw it in also. Simmer for 15 minutes or so, so the bean and spud starch thickens the soup a bit and the collards get cooked. Toss in the chicken and simmer another 5 minutes in order to heat through.

This is peasant soup with a passion. All it needs is good peasant bread, some good wine and a friend to enjoy it with.

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