Our programs include a useful interview of Dr. Mike Stanley, my son-in-law, by Paul about food safety in preparation and storage. Mike, a veterinarian and an Air Force veteran, has a wealth of experience in public health and food safety.
Another popular show is an interview with the famous marketer and cookbook author Willie Crawford. He discusses with us the way he cooks collards, and his background.
Paul and I are the authors of The Collard Patch, the world's best collard and cornbread cookbook. It is not only a book of recipes; it is also a book of stories and nutritional information about collard greens, the Cinderella of dark leafy greens. We believe that collard greens are important for maintaining good health. Collards, one of the most delicious foods imaginable when prepared appropriately, furnish a wealth of nutrients while remaining incredibly low in calories.
One of the beautiful aspects of collard greens is that they can be grown almost anywhere. They love cool weather and tolerate a mild amount of frost. These beautiful plants make excellent ground cover in yards. Also they can be used to add interest to flower beds. In a time when people are seeking more intriguing flavors than ever before because our taste buds have grown up and when people are needing to spend a smaller percentage of their budgets on food, we recommend growing collard greens.
Nutritionists consider green leafy vegetables such as collards to be one of the leading foods, as far as food value is concerned. They are nutritious when eaten raw, added to vegetable juices, or prepared in delicious dishes much as spinach has been traditionally prepared. There is a theory that the chlorophyll in them removes environmental toxins, such as heavy metals and pesticides from the body. Some people consider them to be a liver protector.
I cannot prove all these ideas, but I do know they are a source of iron, calcium, beta carotene (precursor of vitamin A), soluble fiber, and manganese. They provide vitamins C, K, B1, B2, and B9. Collards have potent anti-cancer properties, antiviral, and antibacterial components including diindolylmethane, sulforaphane, and selenium. There are only 46 calories in one fourth pound of cooked collards.
We devote a large amount of our time encouraging people to eat more collard greens. When we tell people about this project, some of them find us slightly insane. We, however, are devoted to this cause. We have appeared at book signings, crafts fairs, civic club meetings, radio interviews, and cooking shows on television in Louisiana, Georgia, Mississippi, Texas, and Wisconsin. We are willing to go throughout the country to promote the use of collard greens.
This recipe is an example of a collard greens dish that is packed with all the good things we need to eat without unnecessary calories. The taste is great.
Wilted Collards with Flaxseed
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil with 2 tablespoons minced garlic in a big deep skillet.
Toss in 1 pound finely chopped tender collard green leaves.
Heat and wilt five minutes or until tender.
Add some salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes.
Turn off the heat. Add 1 tablespoon honey and 1 tablespoon red vinegar.
Top with ¼ cup toasted flaxseed.
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