by Mick Vann
Collards grow like a weed in these parts in the fall, through the winter, and
well into the spring; when it gets hot they typically bolt and go to seed, mak-
ing the leaves bitter.
They descended from wild cabbages that once grew in Europe. They are
a continuous crop, meaning that you can harvest the outer leaves while the
center continues to grow.
Collards can be seeded, or planted as starts. Most nurseries have several
varieties of starts at the moment, including the ever-popular ‘Vates.’
Collards prefer full to half sun, rich fertile soil high in nitrogen, regular water,
good drainage, and organic mulch. Plant them 1-foot apart, and expect
them to yield for 6 months or so if they are regularly harvested; increase
the mulch when it warms in the spring to insulate the roots and deter
blooming. If you get any insect pests, expect small beetles or caterpillars.
A pot of collard greens is always referred to in the South as a “mess of
reens”, and the vitamin-rich, bacon-seasoned savory broth in the bottom
of the pot is called potlikker. Traditionally the white plantation owners
of the South consumed the cooked and drained collard greens while the
slave cooks, who understood the high nutrient value of potlikker, saved
the broth to supplement their family’s diets.
Nothing is better for soaking up the potlikker than a hot piece of crusty
cornbread that’s been split down the middle and slathered with sweet
butter. The Potlikker and Cornpone Debate in February and March
Huey “The Kingfish” Long, the backwoods populist governor and soon
to be U.S. senator-elect from Louisiana.
The traditionalist Harris contended that Southerners must crumble corn-
pone into potlikker, criticizing Long as an unrefined rube, who contended
that the cornpone should instead be dunked.
What started as a lighthearted fluff piece in the local paper turned into a
23-day long news event that captivated the South (and much of the rest
of the nation, once it spread on the wires), and ended up dealing with all
sorts of cultural affairs, including race relations, gender, social class,
elitism, and regional chauvinism. For what it’s worth, we prefer eating
our potlikker-soaked chunk of buttered cornbread with a spoon, so as
not to lose any of that precious elixir.
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Mick’s Collard Greens
2 bunches of collard greens, washed well, central ribs removed, chopped
coarsely
¾ pound thick-sliced bacon, sliced thinly
1 large onion, halved and sliced
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups rich chicken stock
3 to 4 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar, to taste
2 to 3 tablespoons white sugar, to taste
1 to 2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper, to taste
Cornbread to soak up the potlikker
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In a large stock pot with a lid, sauté the bacon over medium low heat
until the fat is rendered and the bacon golden brown. Add the onion and
sauté over medium heat until transparent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic
and sauté 30 seconds. Add the collards and stir well, briefly sautéing the
greens in the bacon fat. Add the chicken stock, stir well, and place the
lid on the pot. Allow the greens to cook down for about 20 minutes,
stirring occasionally, and add 3 tablespoons of the vinegar, 2 tablespoons
of the sugar, and 1 teaspoon of the black pepper. Stir well for a minute
and taste for seasonings. The broth should be rich from the bacon and
stock, there should be underlying saltiness from the bacon, and the vinegar
and sugar should add a subtle sweet-tart flavor. Cook for another 5 minutes
and taste again, adding more vinegar, sugar, and pepper if desired. Do a
final tasting for salt just before service.
Serve in a bowl with plenty of the pottliker. A piece of crusty hot buttered
cornbread makes an excellent accompaniment.
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Mick Vann: cookbook author, food writer, chef, restaurant consultant,
Visit the website: www.itsaboutthyme.com