Cabbage Collards is my C

You may or may not know yet that I'm from the Southern United States, we have our own brand of foods in this area and we all have recipes that have been handed down for generations. Some members of my family are often reluctant to move away from the tried and true flavors that they associate with Sunday dinner.
 is for Cabbage Collards

If it was Sunday my Grandmother cooked collards, and it was an experience. First you needed a container of these leafy greens and a "streak of lean", that's fatback for those not raised in the South. Our greens always came from her garden, so no extra strange sprays or chemicals, but those leaves can be crinkly and hold more sand or dirt than you realize. So the multiple washings began. Then there were what felt like hours and hours of boiling and then chopping, to end up with something that was truly awesome but not quite so healthy. Between having the bejesus cooked out of them the fat and the salty meat didn't really lend it's self to beneficial eating.

These are an example of Cabbage Collards that we over wintered in our Garden.

My household is now home to a vegan and we all try to eat a bit healthier, but we really don't want to totally leave our roots behind. We still grow our own Collards, and we use them in a couple of different ways, much healthier ways. The younger leaves make great wraps and are great in salads. But the most asked for recipe is sauteed. Instead of hours over a hot pot stinking your kitchen up, this recipe can be made in less than 15 minutes!

When picking your collards, know that they are generally a cooler weather plant, and it's best to get them locally. Pick up more than you need, these large leaves cook down quite a bit.

• For three to four servings I use about 2 bunches, generally that translates to two pounds.
• Wash your greens very well by placing them in your sink or in a basin. swish them around or agitate the water, just spraying won't get the grit off.
• The stems are a bit tougher than the leaves so go ahead and strip them down. The leaves can be cut up into smaller pieces, or into strips. I prefer the strips, I roll the leaves and then cut thinly crosswise.
• I normally add garlic, onions sliced thinly, and red pepper flakes but I have also added peppers and pancetta, for those times I've made it for others.

Ingredients:

2 Large bunches of Collard Greens

1/2  Teaspoon of Olive Oil

3 Cloves of Garlic minced

1 Small Onions sliced thin- Optional

1 Green or Red Pepper sliced thin- Optional

Pancetta- Optional

1/4 Teaspoon of Red Pepper Flakes

Salt

 

Directions:

In large saute pan heat 1/2 teaspoon of oil, add in garlic and onions (and pancetta if you are using it). Stir often and cook until everything has browned. Add in greens (and peppers). Continue stirring over medium heat until the greens have wilted. Greens will become bright green and become tender, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and salt. Try for personal preference.

Pretty easy and healthy too. Give it a try and see what you think. Or even plan for a few plants in your garden this fall, nothings easier than picking your dinner right out of your own garden! Do you have a great idea for healthy greens you'd like to share, leave it in the comments below! I'll have to get the recipe together for Collard Kraut, any one interested?

Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to check out all of the other great blogs that are participating in the A to Z Challenge. We're blogging the Alphabet every day in April, with a break on Sundays. I'll be talking about great ideas for your garden, edible foraging, healthy herbs and a few recipes.

I'll see you in the Garden!

CSA

What is a CSA? It's full name is Community Supported Agriculture.

Ok and that is? Basically it's s subscription service for food from local farmers. Ok that's kinda a simple explanation so here's a bit more detail.

CSA's originally started as a way for people in bigger cities that didn't have a direct contact with farms to get local and fresh vegetables on a weekly basis. They would buy a "share" of product from a regional farm, which would be picked up or delivered weekly. A "Share" would be paid for before the season starts to help the farmer buy seeds, equipment and other needs and the buyer reaps the reward of fresh produce during the season.  The package generally includes 6 to 8 types of produce each week, or can even can include eggs, meats and other value added products such as jams.

OK, So I'm interested, are they in my area? Check out Local Harvest as see what's in your area.

It's a great way to learn where your food comes from, meet nice people and sometimes you can trade work for a portion of your costs.

Is there any risk to this? Yes, there is, it's part of the farming experience. We get bad weather, too much rain, not enough rain or things just fail. Often farmers will supplement one product for another. They want to have a great relationship with their customers. After all it's why they are farming after all.

Don't think you need all that produce at once? Don't worry their are often options on share size, 1/2 shares or splitting a share with friends and family. Often neighborhoods will have a community CSA where there is a dedicated neighborhood manager that is in charge of receiving the weekly distribution. You could always find someone that loves that spaghetti squash that you have no idea what to do with and trade them for some of their extra spinach.

And there are still other kinds that come from smaller farms like ours that do markets and also have a buy as you go basket. If you are in our area, we have a weekly basket that has a great selection for a low price. Eggs, breads and seasonal jams, herbs, condiments and salsas can be added. If you are near us and interested drop us a line and we will be happy to talk about it.

After that self serving plug I'll mention that there are still other kinds of gardeners who have a small plot and they network with other small farms to create a co op of sorts to create baskets for a CSA type project.

There are so many options for farmers, gardeners and the consumers to become involved and support your local agriculture. Check out a few sites, ask around, visit your local farmers market and become involved in where your food comes from. It's really important to your health and our economy.You might even find out you love spaghetti squash, once you use the recipe that was included in your basket!

Be sure to check out other great blogs doing the A to Z Challenge this Month. Leave me a comment about your blog and I'll check it out and link it up! Check back tomorrow to find out about "D" and my Daisy Dairy Trip!

Why I Farm Now

I was one of those lucky kids that got to grow up next door to my maternal grandparents, my parents moved from "town" back to the farm when I was nine and built a house between my grandparents and an uncle. Some days it was awesome and some days I complained loudly about being dragged away from civilization and my friends. My days before had been filled with riding my bike in the neighborhood, taking the quick walk to the library or to Dairy Queen for a dipped cone with my group of friends. All of a sudden I was out in the country, no local anything. But I was lucky enough to live on a loop road, so I was able to ride my bike as much as I wanted with little to no worries about traffic.

While I won't say it was all rosy and wonderful, I can say that I had a different, happier, independent childhood than the friends that lived in town. My parents both worked in town, not on the farm but I did learn about farming. My uncle had cows, my grandmother had  a wonderful garden full of flowers and vegetables, and my grandfather had the all important tractor. We had ponds, woodlands, a small creek and dirt, lots and lots of dirt. I never did catch the elusive "Ground Itch" I was constantly warned about and I am happy to say I still avoid shoes whenever possible.

 My early memories of summer are working right along side my grandmother, in the garden with a old large kitchen spoon. I was allowed to dig and make mud pies to my heart's content, my cousins called me the dirt dobber (which is also a name for a wasp so I never understood that one..lol) and they claimed to find spoons in the garden space many years after I had moved out and away. 

Later I would be consigned to a chair in the yard shelling beans, shucking corn and scraping potatoes for hours. I didn't realize how much of an impression sitting in the shade with my Grandmother, Aunt and other assorted relatives had really made on me. I was given a job, which taught me responsibility,  I learned about growing food and "putting it up", which gave me confidence that I was a valuable helper and best of all I got to listen in on the gossip which made me feel included, as well as gave a bit of leverage over my older cousins..lol. Along with that I learned self sufficiency, we weren't poor nor did we do without but we made sure everything was used to it's fullest. I learned where food comes from and when it's available. I learned how hours in the sun snapping or shelling beans pays off at Christmas when everyone is enjoying the family dinner. The best part was being let loose after the work was done, to go play hide and seek in the cornfields or to splash around in the creek with the crayfish and turtles, and more than often it was just to find a sunny spot to read a book

Late Summer and Early Fall brought harvesting, I still miss the smell of the tobacco curing and the smokehouse in full swing with hams and homemade sausage. Growing and Carving our own pumpkins and not to mention the 100 year old grape vine that was first picked and then pruned back. That meant jelly had to be made and then grapevine wreaths and baskets were made for family and friends for the holidays. Sweet Potatoes and other crops to be harvested by hand and have no doubt my cousins and I were easy and cheap labor. 

In the winter there were always barns to play in and trees to climb. My Mom got ambitious one year and we trekked through the woods until we found the perfect cedar tree, we dug it up and transplanted it in the yard, only because I couldn't stand the idea of it being cut down and then thrown away. Then there is the fact that my grandmother was a professional seamstress and I learned so many crafts from her. We pieced and hand-quilted a quilt for each of her grandchildren for when they got married. She valiantly worked with me on learning to sew, Showed me time and time again how to crochet and  I in turn taught her how to cross stitch. We both decided embroidery was a waste of time.

Then spring finally rolled around and it planting season again. I loved being able to go to the FCX and help pick out the seeds for the year. They sent them home in small brown paper bags and I spent hours counting and sorting seeds when I was small and then being allowed to gently place the seeds in the rows, (that was my personal take on it, I'm sure they were strewn all over and some happened to land in the right spot, but no one complained)

Yes, time makes the memories seem better than they were, at 18 I swore I would never ever shell another bean and I couldn't get out fast enough. Were there time it was awful, yes but those fade with time. Now I'm glad to have had the experience to learn about where my food comes from, understanding that local really is better and that a cool stream on a hot day makes it all worth while.

That's why many years later we continue to garden, make preserves and "Put up" veggies, and sell it to others so that maybe they can catch a glimpse of how great it is to have a connection to a farm including the dirt, the sunshine and the past.

Find a local farm, take a tour, get some veggies and most of all play a bit in the dirt, it will make everything just a bit better.