This weekend I cooked my first batch of collard greens. It’s something that has always intimidated me because I’ve heard stories of long cooking times, and seen the brown, goopy, unappetizing result. In my search to add more natural and healthy foods to my diet, I bought a bunch at Walmart and decided to give it a try. Here’s how it went.

I used about half of the bunch. Strip the leaves from the tough stems. Wash those leaves thoroughly to remove dirt and critters. I added some salt to the first wash.

Chop the drained leaves into bite-sized pieces. I actually just tore the leaves – didn’t see the need to get violent with the greens In a large enough pot, I added hot water and about 2 ounces of salt pork. Let that simmer for a few minutes, then remove pork and set aside. Add the greens, a tbsp of oil, a tbsp of brown sugar, and a sprinkle of salt and black pepper. You can also chop the pork and return it to the pot now.

I let this cook for about 20 minutes. At that point, the greens were tender and flavorful.

I actually served mine with some salted cod cooked down with onions and peppers. Here’s a closer look.

I must say that I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome. Even my mother was impressed. This is definitely something we will add to our rotation of recipes.