I am preparing for a major shin-dig on New Year’s Day and thought I’d share the process with you!! For seven years Greg and I have hosted Beans ‘N Greens lunch on January 1st. Last year I fed 54 people soup beans, black eyed peas, collard greens, corn bread and all the trimmings plus yummy dessert. I wish you could join us on Tuesday.
I have spent the entirety of my Sunday afternoon cooking the best tasting collards you have ever put in your mouth!! Now, I am aware that there are those individuals among us who have no idea what a collard tastes like. Poor things!! Bless their poor, poor hearts. Let me show you some pictures from my afternoon. I do this major undertaking in my downstairs kitchen so that I don’t have water and collards all over my hardwood floor on the main floor.
Above you see all that remains from 3 cases (yes, I said cases and not bunches) of collards. I cut off the tough stems and chop the leafy part of the collards in preparation for cooking. Then I mix together a most wonderful concoction of juices and spices in which to cook the collards. They cook for at least 3 hours after I get them all chopped and boiling. It takes a loooonnnggg time to get collards tender!
Here you see my kitty sitting off to the side, eagerly anticipating her first taste of collard greens!!!! NOT!!! I don’t think she would eat them, although she does have an affinity for Cheetos.
Tomorrow I will beg, borrow or steal ( well, not really steal ) any crock pots I can get my hands on and start cooking about 9 to 10 pounds of soup beans and black eyed peas. Let me tell you, it will be a feast.
I can taste the collards now. Why, even people who don’t like collard greens like MY collards!!
This week’s issue of The Point follows this collardy bloggy post. So, if you don’t like collards scroll on down and dig into something less green!!
Happy New Year!!
