Collard Green Coleslaw Recipes

THE COLLARD GREEN MELT

Steps:

• For the collard greens: Melt the butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant and cooked through. Add the sugar, red wine vinegar, rice wine vinegar, red pepper powder, Creole seasoning, black pepper, salt and 1 cup water and cook until the flavors to meld and develop, about 10 minutes. Add the collard greens in batches if necessary, waiting a few minutes for the collard greens to begin to break down in the pot likker (the liquid in the pot) before adding the rest. Allow to cook over low to medium heat until you achieve the desired texture and the greens have an agreeable amount of salt, spice and acid, 2 to 3 hours. Let the collards cool in their pot likker and reserve until ready to prepare your sandwich. (This can be done a day or more ahead of time.)
• For the coleslaw: Add the cabbage, mayonnaise, onion, vinegar, pepper and some salt to a large mixing bowl. Wearing gloves, mix with your hands, massaging the cabbage to break it down in the mayonnaise. (It should yield less than a quarter of the original volume when it's all said and done.) Taste to make sure you have enough salt and vinegar. Reserve in the refrigerator, as it tastes best on the sandwich as a cold component. (This can be done up to a day ahead of time.)
• For the pickled cherry pepper Russian dressing: Mix up the mayonnaise, cherry peppers, ketchup, red pepper powder, hot sauce, paprika, black pepper and some salt in a bowl.
• For the sandwich: Brush some butter on both sides of each slice of rye bread and toast on both sides on a nonstick griddle or in a large nonstick saute pan. On two slices of bread, place a slice of Swiss cheese and allow to melt fully (covering the pan or putting a dome over the bread on the flattop will facilitate the melting process).
• Meanwhile, heat some greens in a saute pan. Place a handful of coleslaw on a cheesy slice of rye bread. Place the other cheesy slice of rye on top of that. Spoon your collard greens on top of that slice, being careful not to bring too much of the pot likker with them as this will make for a soggy end product. Dress the third slice of rye with a liberal slather of the Russian dressing and place it face-down on top of the collards. Cut it in half and serve.

COLLARD SLAW

Steps:

• Whisk 1/4 cup cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons each vegetable oil and mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon sugar, 2 teaspoons dijon mustard and 1 teaspoon celery seeds in a large bowl. Add 1/2 head shredded green cabbage and 1/2 bunch shredded collard greens; toss well. Season with salt and pepper. Cut 1 Granny Smith apple into matchsticks and toss with the slaw right before serving.

COLLARD AND RED CABBAGE SLAW

Steps:

• For the dressing: Mix together the mayonnaise, mustard, honey, vinegar, Miss Brown's House Seasoning, celery seeds and garlic in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
• For the slaw: Combine the collards, cabbage and onion in a large serving bowl. Add the dressing and toss to coat well. Serve immediately.
• Stir together the garlic and onion powders, paprika, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container.

SMOTHERED COLLARD GREENS AND CABBAGE

Steps:

• Fry the bacon with the onion in a large skillet over medium heat until the bacon is crisp, about 10 minutes. Stir in the chopped collard greens, sprinkle with salt, black pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of the greens seasoning; cook and stir for 5 minutes.
• Add in the darker chopped cabbage leaves, and cook and stir until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining cabbage; season with salt, black pepper, sugar, and the remaining greens seasoning. Stir well; cover and cook until tender, stirring occasionally so that the greens do not scorch, about 10 minutes.