Spicy Collard Greens

Contributed by Poppy McLeod

Ingredients:

3 lbs. fresh collard greens
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 med.-lg. onion, chopped
1 1/2" pc. ginger root, minced
2 T. olive oil
1 lg. green bell pepper, chopped
1 lg. red bell pepper, cut into slivers
1/4 C. apple cider vinegar
1/2 t. cayenne pepper

Wash greens carefully. Remove thick stems, and discard (or save for vegetable broth!). Chop the greens into bite-size pcs. Steam the greens for 45 min. to 1 hour until they are dark green and reduced in bulk by half. This can be done ahead of time, and the greens will keep in the refrigerator for several days.

In a lg. skillet, heat the olive oil over med. heat and saute garlic, ginger and onion until they are covered with oil and beginning to soften. Add the greens, and stir all together, until all the vegetables are well mixed. Add the vinegar and cayenne pepper. Stir well. Cover and reduce heat to medium low.

Cook for 15 min., until peppers have softened. At this point taste the greens. If you like, you may add more vinegar and pepper. Cook for another 10 min. Serve. I personally like these hot or cold. You may also pass additional vinegar at the table. These greens go especially well with corn bread and fresh tomatoes.