This is a totally random meal – there was no planning in regard to the things that would end up on the plate together. Basically we had collard greens in our CSA basket, so I wanted to cook those… husband wanted to cook hot wings, and then I felt like making guacamole out of a CSA avocado.

No, I didn’t dip the wings in the guac. I dipped PORK RINDS in it – which I always thought sounded odd, but it was actually really yummy.

The star of the show was the collard greens. I had never really eaten them before – they always look/smell disgusting and soggy in cafeterias/buffets, and I didn’t really grow up in a collard-green-filled home. But I talked to my mother-in-law on the phone that night and she told me my brother-in-law’s girlfriend’s grandmother’s recipe for them. It sounded more than worth a try.

Cut up a few pieces of bacon and put them in a pot over medium-high heat. When they start to cook a bit (and release some of their fat), add a bit of butter. Then dump in the (washed, cut up) collard greens and top with some water. I probably had about 1/2 to 3/4 inch of water in my pot. Salt and pepper as you see fit.

Cover and simmer on low for an hour to an hour and a half (check on them now and then and see if it needs more water, and stir them). Dear lord, the house smelled amazing by the end…

My brother-in-law’s girlfriend’s grandmother adds a little sugar if they are too bitter at the end, but mine weren’t bitter at all. They were DELICIOUS.

Add collard greens to the list of veggies I love.  Just… you all know that veggies have to be cooked properly in order to taste good, right? These are no exception to the rule. Please, for the love of all that is good in the world, don’t serve them up the way the buffets and cafeterias do!