Collard Greens

Collard Greens

My Mom asked me, “If I was becoming Southern?” when I told her I made collard greens.

There are many foods, which come to mind when someone says Southern cooking and collard greens is at the top of my list… Other than fried green tomatoes, okra, and sweet tea.

Collard greens are a staple in eastern North Carolina. People grow them. Pick-ups parked along the road sell them. Restaurants serve them. Every grocery store stocks them year round. They are cheap, abundant, and easy to prepare.

After two years of living in the South, I finally made collard greens. I purchased a shopping bag full at my local farmer’s market.

Collards in general are a healthy leafy veg; however, the traditional preparation is less than so… Pork, lard, etc. While that tastes really yummy, it isn’t exactly good for our health or waistlines.

I made my collards with turkey bacon, sliced garlic, chicken broth.

I cut out the stems then cut the collards into smallish pieces. Then I sautéed the sliced turkey bacon and garlic in olive oil until cooked. I added the collards sautéing for a couple of minutes. I added enough chicken broth to cover the mixture simmering over low heat for an afternoon allowing the collards to becoming tender. When serving, finish it with apple cider vinegar and a dash of red pepper flakes. Yum.

Here’s the finished dish:

I served it with grilled pork chop and rice.

Maybe, I’ll tackle brewing sweet tea… Or maybe I’ll just to continue go to McDonald’s…

– Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Say No to McDonalds. Eat Local When Traveling in Europe.

Say No to McDonalds. Eat Local When Traveling in Europe.

 

I travel on my stomach. I really do. I can recall meals I’ve had quickier than the sights I’ve seen. And I take lots of photos of my food (as you can see below.) My goal when I travel is to eat local as possible. No McDonalds or other American restaurants are allowed when traveling in Europe. I visit local restaurants and sample the fare. To be honest, many times I have no clue what I’ve picked until it arrives in front of me. And that’s OK. It is part of the adventure of travel or life for that matter.
Food can tell you a lot about the region or country you are in.  Not only will you get a great meal made with the freshest ingredients, but you can connect with locals learning new things to make your holiday more authentic and, maybe, making new friends along the way.
So when you travel, try to eat local.

 

Photos to make your mouth water… some of my favorite Dutch foods.

 

Traveling On My Stomach – Dutch Food

 

This post was originally posted on Ann-Sense on August 26, 2010.

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