Collard Greens

Collard Greens Recipe from Mary Mac’s Tea Room

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Collard Greens Recipe from Mary Mac's Tea Room

It seems many gardeners plan on preparing collard greens for their holiday tables and have asked that I re-run this post from 2014. Enjoy…

Community gardens all over Georgia are filled with beautiful, dark green collard greens. See the August 20th post on growing collard greens.  Once we get a few good frosts they will be ready to harvest.  Being such a Southern vegetable it is wonderful that the very Southern Mary Mac’s Tea Room in Atlanta has shared their famous collard green recipe.  Richard Golden is the Assistant General Manager and he says that the collards are his favorite of all the vegetables the restaurant serves.  Just in time for Thanksgiving this recipe is a real treat worthy of a special occasion.

Collard Greens Recipe from Mary Mac's Tea Room

Collard Greens

Collard Greens Recipe from Mary Mac's Tea Room
Very tasty with cornbread!

Serves 6-8

  • 2 1/2 pounds of collard greens, stalks removed and cut into 2 inch strips
  • 2 gallons of water
  • 6 ounces of fatback
  • 1 smoked ham hock
  • 1/3 cup bacon drippings
  • 1/8th cup salt

You should be able to find fatback and ham hocks at your local supermarket. Just ask the butcher if you have trouble finding them.

Collard Greens Recipe from Mary Mac's Tea Room

Wash the cut greens in cold water and 1/8th cup salt.  In a large stock pot, on high heat, boil the water, smoked ham hock, and fat back.  Let boil for an hour.  Add collards and bacon drippings to the pot.  Let come to a roaring boil and then reduce heat to medium.  Let cook for 40-45 minutes.  You may need to add additional water if the water starts to absorb past 1/3 of your original liquid.  Remove from heat and take out the fatback and ham hock.  Serve warm. Goes well with corn bread.

If you are not used to cooking with fatback or ham hocks, they are easily found at most grocery stores.  Just ask your butcher if you have trouble finding them.  Also, plan ahead so you can save your bacon drippings.  Your Grandmother would be proud, your fitness trainer not so much!

Mary Mac’s is such an Atlanta institution it was honored by the Georgia State House of Representatives with Resolution 477 declaring Mary Mac’s to be Atlanta’s Dining Room.  The menu includes fried okra, tomato pie, hoppin’ john, butter peas, and turnip greens.  All of these contain ingredients grown in Georgia!

Mary Mac’s opened in 1945 when Mary McKenzie wanted to use her cooking skills to make money in the aftermath of World War II.  In those days a woman couldn’t just open a restaurant but a “tea room” was acceptable.  The current owner, John Ferrell purchased the restaurant in 1994 and carries on the traditions.  Recently they catered Governor Nathan Deal’s birthday party.  If you decide to visit Midtown for a meal at Mary Mac’s, don’t forget the cobbler.  Trust me!

Happy Eating!

Collard Greens – A Southern Favorite

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Collard Green SeedsCan any Southern garden truly be Southern without collard greens?  If you are from the South your Grandmother probably cooked them up with a bit of smoked meat or bacon.  They are a staple at the Sunday dinner table, tasty and very nutritious. Collard greens are a wonderful fall plant because they can take the heat and the cold.  For questions about any fall garden vegetable contact your local UGA Extension Agent.

August is the time for direct seed sowing.  Make sure your soil is loose and well-drained.  The seeds will germinate at soil temperatures from 45 degrees – 85 degrees, a very wide range.  Seed heavily, putting about 2 inches between seeds, and cover the seeds with about 1/4-1/2 inch of soil. Thin to 12-18 inches between plants.  The thinnings can be steamed and eaten or transplanted.  Since you are planting in the summer, insect pests may be a problem for very young seedlings.

Many gardeners start their seeds inside and transplant hardier seedlings.  For transplants, either raised or purchased, September is the time for planting.  Transplants will adjust quicker if they are planted on a cloudy day or hardened off to the heat by keeping them in the shade for a few days.  Keep the plants 12-18 inches apart.   Collards are heavy feeders so make sure to add some fertilizer or compost when you plant.  Nitrogen keeps those leaves nice and green.  Keep the young plants well watered.   Some gardeners have problems with leaf spots on their greens.  Paul Pugliese’s Leaf Spots on Greens Related to Moisture could be helpful if this happens to you.

With collard greens you don’t have to worry about the first frost damaging the plant.  The greens actually taste sweeter after a frost.

You can harvest greens a number of ways.  You can harvest the entire plant when it is half grown or full grown.  Or, you can begin taking several of the outer, lower leaves after the plants are about a foot tall.  Harvesting the plant a few leaves at a time will prolong your harvest and you will have fresh greens as you want them.

Blue Max, Georgia Southern, Hevi-Crop are all recommended cultivars.  Master Gardeners have also had success with Georgia Green as well.  These should be available almost at any place that sells seeds.  If you are fortunate enough to live near an old fashioned feed and seed store or an older hardware store, you may be able to find seeds there.  Also, there are several mail order companies such as Seed Savers Exchange and Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds that specialize in hard to find seeds.

The poet Maya Angelou is quoted as saying “The best comfort food will always be greens, cornbread, and fried chicken.”  We tend to agree, don’t you?

Happy Gardening!