Wellspent Marketfounder Jim Dixon has been writing about food and restaurants forWillamette Week for a long time. He wants our readers to eat well, and he shows them how with the recipes he creates just for us by using simple cooking techniques and easy-to-find ingredients.
They don’t look like they’re related, but the big dark green leaves of collard greens and the pale, tightly packed heads of cabbage come from the same vegetable family. All of the Brassicas evolved from a kalelike wild plant growing around the Mediterranean, and over a few thousand years farmers cultivated them into a diverse family that also includes Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, bok choy, rutabaga and turnips.
But flavor counts more than lineage in the kitchen, and cooking collards and cabbage together makes for a tasty dish of greens. While classic Southern-style greens usually include something porky or smoky, these get an umami boost from soy sauce instead, though by all means, feel free to add some bacon or a smoked turkey leg.
Recipe
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher-style sea salt
- 1 bunch collard greens
- ¼ head green cabbage, about ¾ of a pound
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon wine or cider vinegar
In a pot with a lid, sauté the onion in the olive oil and salt over medium heat until it starts to get soft, about 10 minutes. Roll the collard leaves into a tight cylinder and slice them into ½-inch shreds (the technique is called chiffonade; it’s easier if you do 3-4 leaves at a time), then, while they’re still rolled, cut them in half so they are not so long. Chop the cabbage into roughly 1-inch chunks.
Add the collards and cabbage to the pot along with the water and soy sauce. Cover and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook until the greens are very tender, about 45 minutes. Add the vinegar and cook for another few minutes. I like these with Crystal hot sauce.
