Brenda Nolen

I was raised on Collard and Turnip Greens. Since becoming an adult and cooking on my own, I have always mixed two types of greens for a fantastic flavor.

Collards/Mustards or Collards/Kale or Turnips/Kale. I don't mix collard and turnip greens, just a personal preference.

I use a bunch of greens per adult person. I use a one to on or two to one ratio at times. 1 bunch of Turnip Greens to 1 bunch of Mustard Greens or 2 bunches of Collard Greens to 1 bunch of Kale.

I use vegetable oil instead of meat to grease my greens. A meat would be a cheap buy of beef stock.

Pick your greens. I pull the leaf from the stem. I put great emphasis on cleaning my greens. I soak them before thoroughly rinsing. Nothing worse than biting down into a serving of greens and finding a rock or clump of dirt.

I start with 2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil and a quart of water. Water amount depends on total amount of greens to be cooked. Bring to a boil.

Place the cleaned greens into the boiling water. Add seasoning: salt, pepper, etc. No salt if using meat instead of vegetable oil. Bring the greens to a boil, making sure that all greens are covered with water. Reduce the heat to medium. Stir occasionally and watch the water level. Do not allow the water to deplete. When adding water, adjust your seasoning.

Cook on medium to low heat for 45 to 60 minutes. Greens will change color as they cook. Check for doneness by sticking with a fork. I cook my greens on low heat for 1.5 to 2 hours.

Greens taste best with good old fashioned corn bread. If you leave some stem on the greens, you will need to cut them prior to eating. If you cooked only the leaf, get a plate full and enjoy.