Classy Collards — Is that an oxymoron?

Collards doesn’t connote “classy” — rather than uptown, collards seem down-home. But I think today’s combination bodes well. The general outline will be familiar. I used the 4-qt All-Clad d3 Stainless sauté pan, which was exactly the right size.

• Cloves from a head of garlic chopped small and set aside to rest

Put into the sauté pan:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large red onion, chopped
* 1 bunch large scallions, chopped including leaves
• minced stems from 2 bunches of collards

It occurs to me that I might have used a long slender leek in place of the scallions, in which case I would have halved it lengthwise, rinsed the green leaves well (since that’s where dirt tends to collect), and then sliced the leek thinly, including all the green part.

Start that cooking over medium heat, stirring occasionally. As it cooks, get ready:

• (stemless) leaves from two bunches of collards, chopped
• 1 medium-large beet, rinsed, not peeled, diced small. Uncooked beets don’t stain, which is nice.

After the onions have cooked enough to soften, add the garlic and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring a few times. Than add the collards and beets and:

• 1/4 cup Bragg’s apple cider vinegar
• 2/3 cup vegetable broth or water
• several dashes fish sauce
• several dashes tamari
• a little Wright’s liquid smoke
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Tamari and fish sauce both add umami, so using both may be redundant, but they don’t taste the same, so I decided to use both.

Cover and simmer 45-55 mnut4es. Check occasionally — you may have to add a little more stock or water. It’s done when it’s as tender as you want.

It turned out very tasty indeed, and I’ll make collards this way again. Enough for several meals at the rate of a half-cup serving per meal.