“Cool” Westbrooks is now a Star
The coldest months of the year in Georgia still provide goodness from the garden, like collard greens.
This leafy, vitamin-rich vegetable is hardy and can grow in Georgia’s coldest or hottest months, then be cooked as a Southern side dish.
Elizabeth Westbrooks, director of the Sunshine Seniors and longtime cook, said she makes the greens with turkey parts instead of ham for a healthier option. If she doesn’t have turkey, she uses vegetable oil, onions, celery and garlic to flavor the greens.
But before cooking and seasoning, there is a lot of preparation.
“The main thing is you take the big stems out … a lot of people take most of the stem out, but I leave a little bit in mine because that’s where all the vitamins are,” Westbrooks said. “I roll them … if you don’t roll them, it’s harder to cut them.”
Once the wide collard leaves are rolled up you can roll a few at a time Westbrooks cuts them into 1/2-inch slices. Then, the washing begins.
“Stop up your sink, run it full of water … you’re probably going to have (it) about half full of water,” Westbrooks said. “When you wash the greens you wash them four or five times because grit will be in bottom of the water,” she said. “You run your hand through the bottom of the sink to make sure its clear.”
Westbrooks, 80, and the Sunshine Seniors focus on encouraging others to eat more fruits and vegetables like collards, even though the greens take time to prepare.
“That’s where the work comes in,” she said. “The more collards you’ve got, the more water you’ll need to cover the collards.”
Some folks will recommend you add salt to the water during washing, but Southern cook Joe Edwards said you shouldn’t have to do that anymore.
“Some old-timers say put salt in the water, but remember that is what we are trying to avoid,” Edwards said. “Plenty of people would say put a little salt in the water to make the worms come up, but we aren’t dealing with worms anymore.”
About 40 years ago in South Florida, Edwards created his own seasoning for collards, King Louie Collard Green Seasoning.
“Its mostly bought by the new grandma and the old grandma,” said Edwards, a former caterer living in Fitzgerald, near Tifton. “That means that I have converted both sides now. You cook your greens the regular way were not trying to teach people how to cook collard greens … then shake the collard green seasoning on it.
“Its low in sodium so you are not hurting yourself.”
The collard green seasoning has a smoky ham flavor and can be used on other vegetables, too, he said.
Edwards said greens is one of his favorite dishes now, but he wasnt fond of the vegetable for years.
“When I was coming up I hated collard greens and I called it anything wild,” Edwards said. “My father was from the country and we were from the city (Miami). He was part (American) Indian, so he lived off the land. So we used to call it anything wild. Collard greens was one of the wildest things.”
Today, collards are available at grocery stores and farmers markets and are a healthy diet option.
According to the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, greens can be grown year-round and are an excellent source of vitamins A, C and E. The greens are also a great source for folic acid, beta carotene and are low in calories, fat and sodium.
http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/news/article/14087
Elizabeth Westbrooks, director of the Sunshine Seniors and longtime cook, said she makes the greens with turkey parts instead of ham for a healthier option. If she doesn’t have turkey, she uses vegetable oil, onions, celery and garlic to flavor the greens.
But before cooking and seasoning, there is a lot of preparation.
“The main thing is you take the big stems out … a lot of people take most of the stem out, but I leave a little bit in mine because that’s where all the vitamins are,” Westbrooks said. “I roll them … if you don’t roll them, it’s harder to cut them.”
Once the wide collard leaves are rolled up you can roll a few at a time Westbrooks cuts them into 1/2-inch slices. Then, the washing begins.
“Stop up your sink, run it full of water … you’re probably going to have (it) about half full of water,” Westbrooks said. “When you wash the greens you wash them four or five times because grit will be in bottom of the water,” she said. “You run your hand through the bottom of the sink to make sure its clear.”
Westbrooks, 80, and the Sunshine Seniors focus on encouraging others to eat more fruits and vegetables like collards, even though the greens take time to prepare.
“That’s where the work comes in,” she said. “The more collards you’ve got, the more water you’ll need to cover the collards.”
Some folks will recommend you add salt to the water during washing, but Southern cook Joe Edwards said you shouldn’t have to do that anymore.
“Some old-timers say put salt in the water, but remember that is what we are trying to avoid,” Edwards said. “Plenty of people would say put a little salt in the water to make the worms come up, but we aren’t dealing with worms anymore.”
About 40 years ago in South Florida, Edwards created his own seasoning for collards, King Louie Collard Green Seasoning.
“Its mostly bought by the new grandma and the old grandma,” said Edwards, a former caterer living in Fitzgerald, near Tifton. “That means that I have converted both sides now. You cook your greens the regular way were not trying to teach people how to cook collard greens … then shake the collard green seasoning on it.
“Its low in sodium so you are not hurting yourself.”
The collard green seasoning has a smoky ham flavor and can be used on other vegetables, too, he said.
Edwards said greens is one of his favorite dishes now, but he wasnt fond of the vegetable for years.
“When I was coming up I hated collard greens and I called it anything wild,” Edwards said. “My father was from the country and we were from the city (Miami). He was part (American) Indian, so he lived off the land. So we used to call it anything wild. Collard greens was one of the wildest things.”
Today, collards are available at grocery stores and farmers markets and are a healthy diet option.
According to the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, greens can be grown year-round and are an excellent source of vitamins A, C and E. The greens are also a great source for folic acid, beta carotene and are low in calories, fat and sodium.
http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/news/article/14087