My name is Ananya Rao and I’m a student at Bates College interning with New Roots this summer! I’ve loved working with the farmers this summer, and it’s been so amazing to watch the farm begin to bloom with activity as CSA has kicked into full gear this summer! This is the first blog post this year while I get acclimated to my new position, but I look forward to sharing more information with you throughout the summer in these posts!
I hope everyone has been enjoying the CSA bags we’ve had so far, with some of the biggest collard green I’ve ever seen! There also have been lots of kale, cilantro, swiss chard, green onions, garlic scapes, and white onions going out!
The heat has been pretty bad here in Lewiston this summer, but the farmers are still out every day ensuring there is still fresh produce going out each week. Some ways we combat the heat at the farm is by: hiding in the shade, drinking lots of water, and enjoying fresh watermelon! This summer has seen a flurry of activity with the high amount of high tunnels being built and being used almost immediately! We’re so excited to see what these tunnels will bring in the future!
For this week the recipe included is one for collard greens, perfect for all the bright green veggies that have been in the past couple CSA bags. As a vegetarian, it can be difficult for me to find recipes that don’t have meat, but this recipe is perfect for those just wanting to add some vegetables in without the meat! This is great to add as a side dish to any meal. And you can always either substitute the collard greens for any other green such as: kale or swiss chard, or any combination would also work great!
How to Cook Brazilian Collard Greens
- Cut the thick central ribs out of the collard greens, and stack the leaves on top of one another. Starting at one end, roll them up into a cigar-liked shape, then slice across the roll to make skinny rolls of collard strips. Use a sharp chef’s knife for this, and make your slices as thin as possible—ideally about 1/8-inch wide. Give the collards a few extra chops to break them apart.
- Warm a large, heavy-bottom skillet (cast iron is great) over medium-high heat. Add a generous drizzle of olive oil (the oil will later help your body absorb the nutrients in the greens). Then add the greens and some salt. Give the greens a good stir so they’re all lightly shimmering from the oil and turning darker green.
- Let the greens cook against the pan in 30-second intervals, stirring in between. Thanks to the hot oil in the hot pan, some of the collards will eventually develop crisp, browned edges—these taste so good!
- Once you see a little browning action, add the garlic and red pepper flakes. I suggest adding the garlic at this point, rather than before, because otherwise it’ll burn by the time your collards are done.
- Transfer the collards to plates so they stop cooking. Serve with a wedge of lemon, and you’re done
This recipe comes from: https://cookieandkate.com/quick-collard-greens-recipe/