Storage

Store bunched greens in a plastic bag in the refrigerator up to 1 week.

Freezing

Blanch pre-washed (and chopped, if desired) greens in boiling water for 1 minute.  Plunge into an ice water bath to cool. Drain and wring out as much water as possible. Form into convenient serving-size balls. Wrap balls in plastic wrap and freeze in quart or gallon-size freezer bags.

Recipes

Southern Style Greens

There are infinite variations to this dish. Below are the basic principles; feel free to interpret the recipe as you like. Greens provide an earthy pungency that counteracts the sweetness of other southern dishes. Serve alongside southern barbeque or fried chicken, with roasted sweet potatoes or sweet potato pie for dessert.

• 3 bunches Collards, Kale, Broccoli Rabe or Turnip Greens (about 2 lbs)
• 6 slices bacon (or equivalent salt pork, ham hock, or smoked turkey wings)
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic (optional)
• Salt & Pepper

Wash the greens thoroughly in cold water. Remove any tough stems and roughly chop the leaves. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add greens and cook about 15 minutes, then drain and discard cooking water. (Broccoli rabe and turnip greens can be quite pungent, some say bitter. Boiling removes the unpleasant flavor.) In a large skillet, fry the bacon until crisp and set aside. Add the onion (and garlic) and saute in remaining bacon grease until soft. Crumble the bacon and return to the pan along with the boiled greens. Season with salt and pepper. Add 1 cup water or stock and simmer, covered, 30 minutes over low heat. Serves 4 greens lovers.

Portuguese Kale Soup

This is a simple soup eaten daily in Portugal in infinite versions. There seems to be a Cape Cod Portuguese-American version as that contains beans and a different type of sausage, linguiça. Either way, the combination of rich potato broth, deep hearty greens and salty pork is perfect for those cold rainy fall nights. Try it with a wine from the Douro region!

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut in 1" chunks
• 6 cups water or vegetable stock
• 1-2 bunches kale, collards, or 1/2 savoy cabbage
• Thin slices or small chunks of dry sausage such as chorizo or sopressata (optional)

Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add potatoes and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 25-30 minutes or until potatoes break apart. Puree the soup with an immersion blender, food mill, or some other way. Return to the pan. Wash and remove the tough stems from the kale or collards and stack the leaves on top of one another.  Roll them up like a cigar and slice into very fine shreds. (They use a meat grinder-like machine for this at markets in Portugal so you can buy it pre-shredded. It looks kind of like grass clippings.) Add kale to simmering potato broth and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Serve hot in bowls garnished with the sliced sausage and a thread of high quality olive oil.