B ISED COLLARDS WITH PICKLED STEMS My family has so many recipes for leafy green veggies. It seems many people have a variety of greens recipes and methods. The variations include adding tomatoes, pan drippings, all manner of meat, fermented fish sauce, or even a quick grate of ginger. Here I call for collards, but you can substitute them with mustard or turnip greens. Either way, to serve this dish, place the braised greens on a family platter and the pickled stems in a bowl adjacent. That way, each diner can add as many pickled stems as they'd like, depending on whether they prefer buttery or tart flavors. You can also try swapping out the rosemary for another herb (like thyme, tarragon, or epazote) or tweaking the pickling liquid to include a spicy flavor (like an uncut whole serrano or Scotch bonnet pepper). Braised Collards 1 pound (about 2 bunches) collard greens 2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil ¼ yellow onion, grated on the small holes of a box grater 3 garlic cloves, grated on the small holes of a box grater 1 sprig rosemary 1½ teaspoons kosher salt 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar Pickled Stems 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed ½ cup apple cider vinegar 2 tablespoons honey (or agave nectar or maple syrup) 1 tablespoon salt To make the braised collards: Cut the middle stem out of each collard green leaf, but do not discard. (The easiest way to do this is to place the shiny side of the leaf facing down with the rib pointed upward, then run a paring knife along each side of the stem, working toward the bottom.) Stack the leafy parts of the collards into four mounds. Roll each stack lengthwise, then cut them into ½-inch-thick ribbons. Cut all of the stems crosswise into 1/s-inch pieces. In a large cast-iron skillet or pot with a lid, heat the oil over low heat. Add the grated onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasion ally, until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the rosemary sprig and cook just until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Season with the salt, continued (/l ti,) C. (,> (/l -· + (/l 0 C: 'O VJ 83 Next >