Eat what you grow

Since becoming serious about my garden, I'm tried to follow the adage to Grow What You Eat. Makes sense. If you eat a lot of broccoli, you should plant a lot of broccoli. I do this, though have not had much luck with growing onions, something we probably eat the most of. This season I'm realizing that the reverse of this advice is also true: Eat What You Grow. Maybe that sounds weird, but I am definitely guilty of planting things and leaving them in the ground while I go off and buy my favorite veggies at the farmer's market. I've been doing this with Collard Greens all season. I grew them for the first time ever this year, and they did wonderfully. The only problem was that now I had a bed full of, well, collard greens, and I had no idea what to do with them. Last week while I was making my list of what to buy at the farmer's market, I realized that I did NOT need to buy three bunches of Swiss Chard. What I needed to do was figure out what to do with all those Collards.

I think I was intimidated because I thought I had to involve bacon in the whole collard greens experience, and I am on a diet that does not allow me to eat bacon. So, after a little research, I came up with a simple, and really yummy way to prepare them that my whole family really enjoyed. Plus, it is gluten free, sugar free, and vegan. Let me know if you try it!

SORT OF HEALTHY COLLARD GREENS

Ingredients:
2 bunches of Collard Greens
1 Tb coconut oil
2 (or 3 or 4, depending on how much you like it) fresh garlic cloves, crushed
salt and pepper to taste

1.) Fill and large pot with water and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, remove the tough ribs from your greens and give them a rough chop. Place chopped greens in the boiling water and boil uncovered for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove and strain.

2.) Dump the water out of the pot and return to medium heat. Melt the coconut oil in the pot and add the garlic, sauteeing for a minute or so until fragrant. Add the collards and sautee, stirring, until very slightly browned. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3.) Serve as a side dish, or stir into quinoa or mix with white beans and fresh tomatoes.