Mess o’ Greens

Name: Mess o’ Greens
Yield: serves 6 to 8
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 2 ounces country ham, diced; 4 bunches (about 4 pounds) mixed hardy greens, such as turnip greens, collards, mustard, and kale, washed and drained; 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes; Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth; Hot Pepper Vinegar (page 308), for serving

December 14, 2011

My mom used to cook greens in such big batches that she would wash them on the rinse cycle in the washing machine. For her, a “mess” was a discrete unit of measurement equal to approximately one large grocery bag full. I think most Southerners operate under this assumption, at least as far as greens are concerned. It may seem like you’re starting out with far more greens than you’ll ever need, but keep in mind that they’ll cook down quite a bit. If they don’t all fit in the pan at first, start with as many as will fit and add to the pot as the greens cook down.

Recipe notes

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