I have never grown collards in my garden before and didn’t know what to expect.  But I didn’t have to worry.  The seedlings took to the soil immediately and started growing vigorously.  They also survived the winter and came through quite nicely.  Now they are about two feet tall with huge leaves twice the size of my palm.   

Temescal (and Oakland in general) is home to a huge Eritrean and Ethiopian immigrant population leading to a number of awesome Ethiopian restaurants in the area.  A distinct perk of living in California is that we get to try amazing dishes from various cuisines and one of our favorite vegetarian dishes at Ethiopian restaurants is “Gomen Wot”, i.e. spiced Ethiopian collard greens.   Here is my attempt to recreate the dish with the greens from our garden.

Ethiopian-style collard greens and red lentils with injera

Ethiopian Collard Greens (Gomen Wot)

Adapted from a recipe at saveur.com

[Printable Recipe]

Ingredients:

• 1 large bunch collard greens
• 1 medium yellow onion, minced
• 3 Tbsp Organic Ghee
• 2-3 pods cardamom, seeds removed and crushed
• 1/4 tsp nigella seeds (known as kalonji in Hindi, can be found in ethnic Indian stores)
• 1/8 tsp ground fenugreek seeds (known as methi in Hindi, can be found in ethnic Indian stores)
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 inch piece ginger, grated
• 2-3 Thai green chilies, minced
• 1 cup hot water
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• A splash of white wine vinegar to taste

Method:

• Wash the collard greens thoroughly by dunking in water a couple of times (check for bugs especially on the back side of the leaves)
• Cut the leaf along the stem on both sides and discard the stem
• Stack up the leaves and cut in to thin strips
• Place a pan over low heat on the stove and put the onions in.  Cook over low heat with no oil or water until the moisture in the onion has cooked away.  Remove with a spoon and set aside
• Heat the ghee in the same pan and add the crushed cardamom, nigella seeds and ground fenugreek seeds.  (To make ground fenugreek seeds, dry roast the seeds until slightly red and fragrant.  Cool and grind using a spice or coffee grinder.  Fenugreek is very fragrant, but slightly bitter, so use sparingly).
• Then add the onions back and cook for 5 mins until browned
• Add the garlic, ginger and chilies and cook for 3 mins
• Add the collard greens, hot water, bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer for around 30 mins until the greens are soft and the water is mostly absorbed.  (The leaves from our garden were mature and tough, so I had to cook them for around 40 mins adding a little more water when I needed.  Reduce the time and amount of water for tender young leaves.)
• When the greens are soft, add salt and black pepper to taste and some white wine vinegar if desired
• Serve warm with injera, a traditional Ethiopian bread, or just as a side dish for any meal

Ethiopian-style collard greens and red lentils with injera

Even though it was my first attempt at Ethiopian cuisine, the greens and the red lentils I made complimented the injera  (a spongy bread made by fermenting a grain called teff) that we bought from our favorite neighborhood Ethiopian restaurant very well.   My experiments with Ethiopian cuisine will continue! 

Belonging to the same family as cabbage, broccoli and kale, collards are similarly very nutrient-rich. And it is so easy to grow in the garden or in a container that one can have a steady supply year-round!