How to Make Collard Greens for Kwanzaa

Collard greens are a basic vegetable that fits in perfectly to your Kwanzaa feast plans. Collard greens are grown in Africa so they are certainly a traditional food in keeping with Kwanzaa ideals. In East Africa, they are called Sukuma wiki. Many believe collard greens will bring good fortune when eaten on New Year's. Given the Kwanzaa feast is held on the last day of Kwanzaa, January 1st, you just can't go wrong with collard greens.

Things You'll Need

• 1/2 tsp. of crossed or ground red pepper (or to taste)
• 1 tbsp. of olive oil
• 1 tsp. of sugar
• Large stock pot
• 2 tsp. of salt
• 2 or 3 ham hocks or 2 lbs smoked neck bones or 2 lbs smoked turkey wings or 1/2 lb of bacon
• 1 clove of garlic minced finely
• 4 to 5 lbs of collard greens
• 6 cups of water

Instructions

Make Collard Greens for Kwanzaa

1. Cut off all the stems and tough pieces off the collard greens and throw them away.

2. Clean the collard greens carefully by rinsing them under running water several times. You will sometimes find small bugs in the leaves.

3. Cut up the greens in medium to large sized pieces. If you cut them up too small, you will end up with mush at the end.

4. Bring the water to a boil and then add your choice of smoked meat. Let the meat cook until it becomes fork tender, almost falling apart. Depending on the type of meat you choose, this can range from 30 minutes to an hour. If you use pork, be very sure that the meat is cooked thoroughly.

5. Put the cleaned collard greens in the pot and push them down until they fit and then cover with the top of the pot. Don't worry about there being too much, they will wilt very quickly and take up very little space.

6. Sprinkle in the salt, cayenne pepper and sugar and then stir gently without breaking up the pieces.

7. Add more water to pot as necessary to make sure greens do not dry out and cook until tender, but not mushy.

Tips & Warnings

• Vegetarians shouldn't miss out on the enjoyment of Kwanzaa feasts, they can make greens without meat. You can replace half the water with vegetable broth which will enhance the flavor.

• You can add about half a head of cabbage to the greens for a wonderful combination. Adjust the seasonings per your taste.

• Be careful with salt, since the smoked meats will add a lot of salt to the dish.