Southern Collard Greens with Ham Hocks

Yesterday, while working on a recipe for BBQ'd Meatloaf for Food Republic, I got an overwhelming hankering for a pot of greens to go with it. Perhaps it's the cool weather coming on or the fact that I might be a tad iron deficient, but whatever the reason, I just had to have some.

So I hit the store, grabbed a bag of mixed greens and a couple of hams hocks and set out to simmer a pot 'o greens to go with my meatloaf. After finding inspiration from Susan Russo's recipe for Southern-Style Greens, which was originally published on NPR as part of her take on a non-Southerner getting her first taste of Southern cooking (and greens), I thought it's about time I work on my own version.

Surprisingly, I've never published a recipe for greens. There's a recipe for slow-cooked kale in fatback in my book, but not collards or any mix thereof and definitely not anything involving ham hocks. I grew up eating all kinds of slow-cooked vegetables, and as Susan mentions, often they were more "browns" than greens. When it came to cooking greens in our house, it was all about the fatback, which while mighty tasty in its own right, never offered that signature smoked hammy flavor I crave in my greens, so after playing around with a couple of combinations including chicken broth, no chicken broth, lots of cider vinegar or less, cayenne or none, and of course, a ham hock, I settled on this recipe for a pot 'o greens, which not only is the perfect accompaniment for a big slab of meatloaf, but might even win over a couple more non-Southerners.

Pot 'O Greens with Ham Hocks

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large ham hock
1 large garlic clove, smashed
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 16-ounce bag of pre-washed and cut collards or mixed greens of choice (or wash and slice you're own)
3 tablespoons cider vinegar (adjust this to your liking)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt, to taste
Generous amount of freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Toppings can include: more cider vinegar, hot sauce, minced onions, crumbled bacon, hot pepper vinegar or chow chow relish

In a large pot, heat your oil. Add ham hock and toss it around a bit. Add garlic and cook for one minute, being careful not to burn. Add chicken broth, greens, vinegar and cayenne. Bring up to a gentle boil. Add salt and black pepper. Then cover and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour or until greens are tender to your liking.

Serve in bowls with wedges of warm cornbread (I'm a fan of my dad's country grit bread) and whatever toppings you want. Be sure to spoon extra pot likker into each of the bowls just before serving.

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Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Blue Cheese

Photo Kendra Bailey Morris

Only recently, in my old age, have I come to love brussels sprouts. It's not that I ever disdained them, but enjoying them roasted, baked, steamed or casseroled was simply something my family never did. They were rarely on our dinner table, except maybe on Thanksgiving where they would be cooked until gray, soft and giving up the ghost, a la country-style, which not only made them unappealing to the eye and palate, but also the olfactory senses. Basically, overcooking them makes them stink like rotten eggs.

This is one of several reasons brussels sprouts get an undeserved bad rap in my opinion.

Brussels sprouts, which are a member of the cabbage family (hence, their cute, mini-cabbage appearance) can actually be quite tasty, especially when they're slow roasted in a medium-high oven revealing all that gorgeous, sweet caramelization. They're super healthy, too, and are loaded with Vitamin A, C as well as folic acid and iron. After eating a plate of sprouts, I am actually energized, much in the same way I feel after downing a big bowl of collard greens (and of course, plenty of pot likker).

When it comes to cooking your sprouts, all you need to do is toss them with a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil, add a little salt and freshly cracked pepper and roast them in a 375 or 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes or so, turning them frequently, so they brown and all sides. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar right at the last 5 minutes of cooking for some extra punch and them serve them up hot. Even die-hard brussels sprouts haters can't resist them prepared like this.

If you're looking for even more bang for your flavor buck, toss in some cooked and crumbled bacon and some mild blue cheese (or goat cheese) and you'll have a fantastic combo that works well as a first course salad or a warm side next to a plate of roasted chicken, grilled pork loin or a hearty New York Strip.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Blue Cheese

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half
3 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (with 1/2 tablespoon reserved)
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste (I like to be generous with the pepper)
1 1/2 tablespoons good quality balsamic vinegar (with 1/2 tablespoon reserved)
1/4 cup cooked and crumbled bacon (more if you're a bacon lover)
2-3 ounces mild blue cheese, crumbled

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In large pan, toss the brussels sprouts with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread the sprouts out in the pan in a single layer and roast for 25 or so minutes or until nice and caramelized. Be sure to rotate the pan and toss the sprouts around a bit during the cooking process so they are evenly browned.

During the last few minutes of cooking add the tablespoon of balsamic and toss well. Then return sprouts to the oven for another 3-4 minutes.

Remove sprouts to a large bowl and toss again with the reserved 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil, 1/2 tablespoon balsamic, bacon and blue cheese. Top with additional blue cheese and another sprinkle of black pepper just before serving.

©2011 Fatback and Foie Gras. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission Pin It Now!

Pimento Cheese Recipe

Photo Kendra Bailey Morris

I know, I know. More pimento cheese...but I can't help it. Pimento cheese is just so darn tasty and it's so easy to make your own instead of shelling out $5 or $6 bucks for a container of that heavily mayonnaised stuff at the store.

There's no doubt that many cooks have placed their own unique spin on this classic combination of cheese, mayo and pimentos, but I am still a go-with-the-classics kinda gal. Over the years, I've tweaked this recipe over and over, and what I've found is that using as little mayo as possible while bumping up the flavor with pimento juice (along with the chopped pimentos) really makes a difference. This, and the addition of a generous pinch of cayenne pepper and freshly ground black pepper is all you need to elevate this spread to something swoon worthy.

Photo Kendra Bailey Morris

For more on tricks and tips to making pimento cheese along with my family's recipe, check out my original post on Food Republic, and while we're at it, how do you like to make your pimento cheese? What's your secret to making this spread swoon-worthy?

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Gone Fishing!

Like, literally. For the next week, I'll be double timing it between Nags Head and Wrightsville Beach (barring any more hurricanes, of course). Will be back online shortly and hope to post some photos of all the ridiculously huge flounder, trout and wahoo I've caught. Pin It Now!

4 Things I Liked About Living Without Power

So, finally, after 5 days of sitting in the dark, cold showers and losing all of the contents of two refrigerators, including my prized condiment collection, I sit here with the lights on. Feel free to hate on me Richmond, but do know I understand your pain. When Isabel hit our Southside hood back in 2003, we lost power for a whopping 30 straight days and that included a boil advisory, so no water as well. As a result, our house was overrun with black mold and we had to have a couple of guys in Hazmat suits come in, clean the walls, floors and ceilings. They even had to rip open the walls and spray behind them to prevent mold spores from returning.

Good times.

So, like many Richmonders who weathered Irene's wrath only to witness their lights feverishly flickering for one, two, three and finally the last time before all went dark, this time we decided to try a different attitudinal approach to those wonderful entities we can't control. Part of this emotional overhaul involved cheesing out and looking at the bright side (feel free to slap me for even using that phrase) while trying to salvage the good, if any, that could be found from being forced to sit in the dark night after night only to freeze your tailhole off in the shower each morning. Here's what I came up with.

No More Reality Television

Not having television was a blessing in and of itself. It goes without saying that most of us lose a certain percentage of brain cells while watching hours upon hours of TV. There are several studies out there already making solid cases regarding the lasting effects of the idiot box. Throw in the fact that it's a pretty good libido killer, makes you fat and sedentary and causes everything from chronic eye strain and headaches to insomnia and excessive snacking, and in my opinion, TV should be banned altogether.

All of these pleasantries get even further magnetized when you throw in reality television. From Guy Fieri's bone-head cooking commentary, "Dude, that jammin' chili is totally money!" to Nadia G's Bitchin' Kichin', where said host (while dressed like a porn star) channels the love child of Tony Soprano and Vinnie Barbarino  while showing the rest of us how to make "Liquid Gold Chicken Broth", I figure whatever percentage of brain cells one might lose while watching Anderson Cooper giggle like a 6th grade girl quadruples when it comes to the rest of this crap. And, don't even get me started on the Kardashian's. Who are these people and why are they famous? They don't sing, dance, act, write, create art or contribute to society in any way other than offering the rest of us a voyeuristic gander at their impending weight gain.

I thank Irene for preserving a substantial part of my neocortex this week.

Going to Sleep at "Advanced Age" Hours

Is it dark outside? Time for bed! As many of you know, when the sun disappears and there's nary a light to be found within a 5 miles radius and it's a new moon, it's dark as hell. Just taking a whiz in the middle of the night is exercise in architectural memory and wall touching. So, why stay up staring at your dwindling candles when you can hop into bed and blissfully nod off while enjoying the soothing sounds of buzzing generators?

Waking up is even better, since for the first time in a long time, I actually arose with the sun and didn't feel like crap. Instead, I felt refreshed and ready for the day. Perhaps, I'll hit the mall for a little power walk or maybe do a bit of gardening. If the grocery stores are open, maybe I can get there at the ass crack of dawn to score some of the 50% off produce deals. Who wants to meet for watered down coffee and then chair yoga? I'm up, and I can do anything!

No More Electric Coffee Maker

No power doesn't necessarily have to mean no coffee, and I have to admit, not once did I miss my coffee making goods. Why? Two words: French press. Per usual, the French know what tastes the best, so let's get back to the basics of making coffee. While espresso machines make me all warm and fuzzy inside, I have found a new love...the basic press pot. Since we had a gas grill, each morning we could get some water, heat it up in a tea pot on the grill and then press away the essence of what makes coffee so incredible, which is essentially an immaculate combination of fine grounds and natural oils that are released directly from the beans into the water. It's coffee in its purest, natural form, and if you haven't tried it, you must, even if you decide to keep your electric coffee maker.

Twitter and Facebook

Sorry guys, but I missed neither of you. While Twitter was valuable during the height of the storm for news and updates, after that I was no longer smitten and more than happy to oh...I don't know... read a book. Furthermore, being away from social media for an extended period gave me a rather frightening realization. I am addicted. There, I said it, "My name is Kendra and I am addicted to social media." Let the healing begin.

The fact is, even though it's essential for my job as a freelancer writer, I spend way too much time voyeuristic-ally exploring every nook and cranny of both Facebook and Twitter, especially when I have writer's block, which is when I should be writing actual words versus characters. And, let's face it, how much truly valuable information does one really gain from Facebook? Your baby just spit up on her brand new Gymboree jumper? Rats, that's a bummer. Got a vacation coming up six months from now that you can't wait for and already posting your packing list? Can't wait to scroll through that one. Got close-up photos of that odd rash for all to see? Recommend getting off Facebook and making an appointment with the dermatologist ASAP.

And Twitter....  As I mentioned, it was valuable for information re: Irene, but on a daily basis, it honestly resembles one, long streaming advertisement. Yes, I have been guilty of adding my junk to that stream, and I will continue to do so unapologetically, but if one day I woke up to read (on Facebook I presume) that Twitter had disappeared...poof! Just like the dinosaurs. I would shed nary a tear. Instead, I'd pop open a bottle of bubbly and thank the good Lord for giving me my life back.

Got a positive when it comes to not having power? I'd love to hear it.

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