Wishing all my followers a Wonderful Thanksgiving. Enjoy this new and delicious recipe from my new Irish cookbook, available everywhere in the US today “Return to Ireland”. Collard greens are in the same cabbage family as kale, and are a brilliant source of vitamin C. In the American South, slow cooked, soft collard greens are considered a Southern delicacy, and can be found on the menus of many Southern inspired restaurants and barbecue joints. After years of living in the American Couth, I have found these spicy and hearty greens to be delicious in salads and they stand up to lots of strong flavors such as garlic. Other leafy greens that would make great substitutes for collards include Swiss chard, mustard greens, black kale or beet greens. Here is the recipe (found in chapter 4 of “return to Ireland”.
- 2 medium Sweet potatoes (peeled and diced)
- 2 Tbsp Olive oil
- 4 cups Collard Greens (hard stalks removed/thinly sliced in ribbons)
- 4 cups Spinach
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- (for the seed brittle)
- 2 Tbsp Pumpkin seeds
- 2 Tbsp Sunflower seeds
- 1 Tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 tsp Irish butter (melted)
- 1 1/2 Tbsp raw honey
- Pinch of kosher salt
- (Garlic Vinaigrette)
- 3 Tbsp cider vinegar
- 1 clove of garlic (crushed)
- 1 Tbsp course Dijon Mustard
- 2 tsp honey
- ½ cup of Olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly milled black pepper
How to make it
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Toss the sweet potatoes in olive oil and bake for 15 minutes until they begin to brown on the edges. Remove from the oven and cool.
- To make the vinaigrette whisk the apple cider vinegar, garlic, mustard and honey and then slowly incorporate the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
- To make the harvest seed crunch preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk the melted butter and honey together. On a parchment lined baking sheet toss the seeds with the butter and raw honey. Toast the seeds for 10-12 minutes and then stir and bake for a further few minutes until they are golden brown and aromatic. Remove from the oven and allow seeds to cool completely.
- To shred the Collards greens, remove the hard stalk in the center and then roll in a cigar shape and slice into ribbons.
- Toss the shredded greens in about ½ cup of the vinaigrette and allow marinating and softening the greens for about 10 minutes. Fold in the power greens, cherries, additional vinaigrette and season with a little more kosher salt and pepper to taste.
- To serve the salad break up the seed brittle and sprinkle over the top of the greens.
Sending you my love and as always “Joy in the Jourey”
Judith (Shamrock and Peach)