Collard Greens

 It's so hot here in good ol' Minnesota, it feels like we're in the south. Heat and high humidity. Let's eat some greens. Yes, greens. Turns out my Jewish AC knows how to make kick-ass collard greens. Since you can now get them fresh and local, I thought I'd pass on the recipe. 

Start with fresh collard greens from the farmers market near you, or the CSA box at your door.

A large bunch of collard greens- the AC guesses about 2 lbs, I think that sounds heavy.

3 slices of bacon
1 small red onion
1 large shallot
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper- our are very hot- add more if you like it spicy
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 garlic cloves minced fine
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup vegetable broth
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Cook the bacon in a high-sided frying pan, extra crispy. Chop fine, set aside.

 In the same pan, saute the shallot, red onion, crushed red pepper and garlic in the leftover bacon fat, until soft. Remove most of the stem from the greens- not to the point of de-veining, just the majority of it. Cut the leaves into 2-3" strips. Put the greens into the frying pan, sprinkle with balsamic and mix with the other ingredients until wilted. When wilted, add the broth, bacon and black pepper. Bring to a simmer for about 40 minutes until the stems are soft.

These were not bitter at all (a common complaint). They were sweet, salty and spicy. We ate them, ravenously I might add, with some local cheese. Greens and cheese, sometimes you have to improvise. Even though this didn't feel like improvising.