Kamara's Greens

Good gracious.....the way some of you gals prepare turnip greens amazes me! Just never heard of such. The part of the south I'm from we cook turnip greens as follows.
Fill a clean dish pan with cold water and lots of salt and soak the greens for awhile. The salt in the water kills any insects that are still on the greens. Then, wash greens thoroughly to remove any grit, especially on the underside of the leaves. I wash one leaf at a time. It takes longer but it's worth not getting a mouth full of grit. In the meantime, in a large pot, have large chunks of ham boiling in a 1/4 pot of water. (When I bake a large ham, preferrably Hormel Cure 81, I usually freeze the ends and last pieces we don't eat to use for cooking beans, greens,etc.) Greens can be chopped if you prefer -- I don't as they're going to cook down and we eat them so fast that it doesn't matter what size they are on the plate! As you get greens clean place in a colander to drain and when colander is full add to boiling water. They will cook down considerably.

When all greens have been added chop purple top turnips and add to top of greens. Cover and 'cook the daylights' out of them. When done, add salt to taste. (I never measure anything..after 42 years of marriage and raising 4 kids and now grandkids..everything is measured by eyesight.) Southern greens are cooked a very, very long time and are never just wilted. AND, PLEASE don't throw the pot liquer away..it is delicious!! I enjoy drinking it ..With our greens we serve fried potatoes with onions cooked in them, pinto beans, sliced red onion that is sliced very thin and has been chilled in fridge with ice cubes on top, cornbread and a big jug of sweetened iced tea usually drank from a fruit jar.

Turnip Greens with Hog Jowl  

1 pound of mustard greens
1/2 pound of salt pork, fresh hog jowl, or ham hock
water
1 pound of young tender turnip tops

Wash and drain the mustard greens. Put in pot with meat. Add just enough water to cover. Simmer, covered, until the meat is tender. Wash and drain turnip tops. Place in a pot with enough water to cover and simmer until tender. Add turnip greens with juice to mustard greens, meat and broth. Simmer, covered for 10 minutes. Drain and reserve liquid. Slice the meat and serve over greens. Juice drained from the vegetables is called "pot licker" and can be served in cups. Serve with corn bread. Makes 4 servings.

Turnip Greens and Pot Liquor  

1 pound of ham hocks
4 cups of cold water
1/2 teaspoon of crushed red peppers
1 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of fresh ground pepper
3 pounds of turnip greens
1 tablespoon of vinegar
sliced hard boiled eggs, optional
sliced green onions, optional

Cover the ham hock with the cold water. Add the crushed red peppers, salt and pepper. Bring it to a boil and simmer, covered for 1 hour. Wash the turnip greens well, discarding the stems and yellow leaves. Add the turnip greens to the pot liquor, cover and simmer for 1 hour longer. Remove the cover during the last 15 minutes of cooking. Drain the greens, reserving the pot liquor and meat. Chop the greens, taste and adjust the seasonings to your desired level. Place the greens in a serving dish, garnish with the meat from the pot liquor, sliced hard boiled eggs and sliced green onions if desired. Pour the pot liquor over the dish or serve it separately with corn bread.