This month’s seed kit features Georgia Southern Collards! To support our environment, some seed kit materials are now available digitally. Follow the links to download a planting log, additional delicious recipes, and coloring pages.
Georgia Southern Greens
The Georgia Southern variety of collard produces large, dark green leaves that can grow as tall as 3 feet. It has a mild, cabbage-like taste and makes a wonderful pot of greens. Both heat- and cold-tolerant, the flavor tends to sweeten after fall frosts.
Planting Instructions
Culture: Sow collard seeds indoors in seed trays 4 weeks before transplanting into a sunny space or outdoors directly into slightly acidic soil. Plant seeds ¼ inch deep, 6 inches apart, with rows 18 inches apart to provide plenty of space for collards to grow. Seeds will germinate in 3-10 days. Georgia Southern Collards are heat- and cold-tolerant.
Water: Water frequently with a total of about 1.5 inches of water per week, avoiding the leaves. Mulch around the plants to help retain the moisture.
Harvest: Georgia Southern Collards will grow about 2-3 feet high and will reach maturity in about 70 days. Leaves will get 7-10 inches long but can be harvested earlier for more tender greens. Harvest the entire plant, or for continual harvest throughout the season, pick individual leaves as needed from the outside, leaving the center intact to keep growing.
More About Georgia Southern Collards
Collards—another member of the brassica family, which includes broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage—originated in the Mediterranean and were prized as a food crop by the ancient Greeks and Romans. Their cultivation spread across Europe, Asia, and Africa via trade routes, eventually reaching the Americas in the 16th century.
Collards became closely associated in African American culinary traditions in the southern United States, as they were one of the few crops enslaved people were permitted to grow for their own use. A traditional form of preparation involved slowly simmering the collard greens along with bits of meat and leftover vegetables from the slave owners’ table, resulting in a pot of tender greens and a savory broth known as “potlikker” or “potliquor.” Potlikker was highly valued and would be drunk or soaked up with cornbread and eaten. Potlikker was also believed to have healthful, even medicinal properties. This time-honored way of cooking greens continues today, as does the tradition of drinking potlikker as a nourishing tonic.
Nutritionally, collards are recognized as being among the best non-dairy sources of calcium. They are also a source of protein and contain anti-inflammatories, antioxidants, and detoxifiers, giving support to the belief that potlikker not only tastes good, but is good for you!
Southern Collard Greens
Serves: 6-8 Prep time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 1.5-2 hours
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs. of collard greens, washed, stems removed, chopped
- 1 large smoked ham hock, smoked turkey wings or legs, or 4 slices thick-cut bacon
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp. of olive oil
- 1 tbsp. of apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp. of sugar
- ½ tsp. of red pepper flakes
- ½ tsp. of black pepper
- I tsp. of salt to taste
- 6 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
- 1–2 tsp. of hot sauce (optional)
Instructions:
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for another 1–2 minutes.
- Add ham hock, bacon, or turkey, and broth to the pot, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the meat is very tender.
- Stir in collard greens in batches, letting each wilt before adding more. Add vinegar, sugar, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Cover and simmer for another 45–60 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add salt to taste. Remove the ham hock or turkey leg, shred the meat, and return it to the pot. Add hot sauce if desired. For a vegetarian option, omit meat and add smoked paprika and liquid smoke with vegetable broth.
Craft: Rainbow Nature Collage
You’ll Need:
- Natural resources such as leaves, flowers, rocks, seeds, fruits, or vegetables in every color of the rainbow.
Instructions:
- Get outside! Take a walk outside to search for collage materials (or check your refrigerator to make an edible version).
- Be respectful of plants and neighbors. Be careful not to damage plants, and don’t collect anything on private property without asking for permission first.
- Collect leaves, flowers, rocks, seeds, fruits, and vegetables in every color of the rainbow.
- Get creative with your materials. Sort them by color, then arrange them into a rainbow (or another design). Deconstruct flowers to spread out the petals or place them whole into the arrangement.
- Enjoy the process of creating ephemeral (temporary) art and leave it for others to admire or snap a photo to share with friends (or the library!).
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