Collard Greens

Cooking collards slowly is the traditional approach in the South, producing tender greens and the bonus of pot likker, the pale green pork-flavored broth left in the pot after the collards are served up. Many people sip a small cup of the pot likker as a cure for the common cold, while others dunk their corn muffins in it.

Unlike southern-style slow-cooked collards, this blanched and quickly sautéed version has a bit of chew.

Diane Brown Savahge of Los Angeles, California, writes: "I'm a part-time restaurant manager and food writer, and occasionally I teach cooking classes. One piece of advice I always share with my students is to keep the ingredients list short — you don't need to empty out your refrigerator to make a great meal. You just need a few quality ingredients with bold flavors."

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Some people favor collard greens boiled until they are meltingly tender, while others prefer them to retain some bite. This recipe satisfies the taste of the latter group. According to the author, this recipe goes well with roast goose.

Danny Toma of Naples, Italy, writes: "As an expatriate southerner working in Italy, I created this recipe to combine my Mississippi roots with my temporary Italian home." This recipe makes a large quantity of pesto. Use half the pesto for 1 pound of cooked pasta and chill the rest in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Although we call for canned black-eyed peas, you can use frozen peas or cook up a batch of dried ones.

Posole is a thick, hearty stew typically containing corn and pork that originated in Jalisco, Mexico. Since I wanted to make this recipe vegetarian anyway, I decided to take it in an entirely new direction. The dried cherries may seem a little odd at first, but they lend a pleasant sweet-tartness to the dish while the pecans take it a bit deeper into the South. In the United States, we call the dried posole "hominy."

Greens are a direct part of African-Amercans' African heritage. Dishes using leafy greens abound in the cooking of the African Atlantic world. They turn up as a couve in Brazil, as a callaloo in the Caribbean, as sauce feuilles in French-speaking West Africa, and simply as greens in the southern United States. The African-American twist with greens is in the manner of cooking. We cook 'em long and slow —down to the proverbial "low gravy"— (but then again that was the way all vegetables were cooked in much of the past). The real innovation is in the eating: We savor not only the greens but also their cooking liquid or "pot likker," a rich source of vitamins and iron.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Seafood Salad with Collard Greens Slaw .

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

Greens boiled with pork have been part of the southern table since the beginning. Some of the flavorful cooking liquid, called pot likker, is spooned over the greens before serving.

A long cooking time for collard greens is a southern tradition. We sliver ours, then sauté them only for 1 minute, which renders them crisp-tender but allows the greens to keep their color and full flavor.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

The abundant use of leafy greens is one of the hallmarks of the food of the African continent in general. Here, the familiar collard green, which has become emblematic of African-American cooking, is given an Ethiopian twist in a dish that can be served either warm or at room temperature.

As all southerners know, eating Hoppin' John—black-eyed peas and rice—on New Year's Day ensures good luck. But it is the collards, traditionally eaten alongside, that bring good fortune! An added bonus to cooking up a mess o' greens is the resultant pot liquor—the delicious, nutritious broth left in the bottom of the cooking pot or serving dish. It is usually served as an accompaniment to that last piece of corn bread.