Collard Salad

Photo by Jill Richards Photography

I have to admit I didn't think I would ever see the two words "collard" and "salad" smooshed together as if they actually "go" together. But then I made what is best described as collard salad for dinner this week, and I don't know why they haven't been put together at my house before now.

A friend suggested the idea to me, so I went with it, because I got a nice bunch of fresh, local, organic collards at the market this week. Try for yourself and see!

Take fresh collards, cut away the stem, fold leaves in half and stack 4 or 5 on top of each other. Now roll the leaves into a fat "cigar" and slice across, making long strips. I cut them fairly close together to make really thin strips. Submerge in water (a salad spinner with colander works best for this part)  and let soak while preparing other parts of the salad. This will plump up the leaves, as well as remove any dirt.

While the collards soaked, I investigated what I had on hand to go with them. Here's the list of things I threw in a bowl:

• roasted beets (click here for simple instructions)
• toasted pumpkin seeds
• grated fresh parmesan cheese
• the best vinaigrette going--Roasted Shallot (click here for the recipe), which I had leftover from the holidays (I used dried herbs, and it's held up nicely)

After gathering these ingredients, I drained the collards, spun the extra water off, and tossed it all together. Quite delicious, quick, and a nice addition to my kitchen. Enjoy!