A few words about mustard greens (and any greens, really). First, start with good greens. Seems obvious, doesn't it. Those big packages of "pre-washed/pre-chopped" greens often yield mostly stems. It's better to buy them loose, even though it's more work (or get them from a local farmer like we do!). And I gotta tell you: the greens we get from the Colvins are gorgeous with all this purple and green. They turn just plain green when cooked, though.
Second, make sure you wash them thoroughly--several changes of water, if necessary.
Third, weigh your bunch. This is helpful if you're not very familiar with greens and their amounts. What I have pictured above is about 12 ounces! That's all--and it's overflowing my 12 cup bowl before it's chopped. Remember, greens cook down considerably. You'll want about 4 ounces, raw, per serving. The above picture is what all those greens cooked down to!
Fourth, remove those larger stems and then chop the greens. I just fold a leaf in half like this.
Then I just slice off the stems--I don't worry if it's not perfect. If your stems aren't big, you may not need to do this at all.
Simple Braised Mustard Greens
(note the ratio, here; you can adjust this recipe up or down quite easily)
- 1 pound washed greens, chopped
- 4 c. water
- 2 t. Paula Deen's house seasoning
- Chop stems off and chop greens if you haven't.
- Bring water to a boil in a large pot.
- Add seasoning and greens, stirring until all greens have wilted (this will just take a minute or so).
- Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes. Baby greens will take less time. You want greens to be tender but not mushy.
- Drain and serve!
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