Potato and Collard Green Hash 

The greens are blanched, and then cooked with onion and garlic. After a while, cooked potatoes are added and crushed into the greens.. Serve it as a side dish with meat, fish or chicken.

Ingredients:
1 large bunch collard greens, about 1 1/2 pounds, stemmed and washed in 2 changes of water
Salt to taste
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, sliced
2 - 4 garlic cloves sliced
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
3/4 pound potatoes, you can use sweet potatoes also

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Fill a bowl with ice water. When the water comes to a boil add the collard greens. Blanch for few minutes, and transfer to the ice water with a slotted spoon or skimmer. Drain and squeeze out extra water. Chop coarsely. Set aside the cooking water.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat in a wide Dutch oven, and add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until it begins to soften, about three minutes. Add a generous pinch of salt, the garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Continue to cook, stirring often, until the garlic is tender. Stir in the collard greens. Mix together for a few minutes, and then add 1 cup of the cooking water and salt to taste. Bring to a simmer, cover partially, and simmer over low heat for 45 – 60 minutes, stirring occasionally; add more cooking water from time to time, so that the greens are always simmering in a small amount of liquid.

3. While the greens are cooking, washed the potatoes, cut them into large chunks and add to the small pot with the cooking water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes. Remove the potatoes from the cooking water.

4. Uncover the greens, and add the potatoes. Using the wooden spoon, crush the potatoes and stir into the greens. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste, and stir over low heat until the greens and potatoes are combined. The potatoes should not be like mashed potatoes, just crushed and intermingled with the greens, like hash. Taste, adjust seasonings and serve.


Yield: Serves four to six.