So that is why they cook collard greens to oblivian

[Sharon in Colorado]

I pinched off a piece of a collard green at the market yesterday and the taste was profoundly strong and bitter. I ended up getting a head of ruffly green lettuce which in turn fell apart. I'll probably end up resorting to my old standby, romaine.

Has anyone else found it difficult to eat the collard greens raw? Is there a way to mellow that flavor?

[Rawkinlocs]

Sharon, you could marinate them or try the collard wraps. Now, like you, I felt that collards would be too tough and bitter to use as a wrap without doing something to it first, so upon the advice of a friend, I marinated the leaves for a few minutes or so in olive oil (I added a little water) and bragg's (although that may be getting bumped out of my diet after reading that info on it). But you could perhaps use lemon juice and a little sea salt instead or other substitute for bragg's.

[Sharon in Colorado]

Thank you Rawkin. Oh, I forgot to mention that is what I was looking for, a wrapper for my marinated veggies. I usually use romaine and it ends up sort of like a soft taco. When you use collard as a wrap does it really taste different? And I wonder if an organic collard would taste mellower?

I'll try marinating it for a while beforehand.

[Rawkinlocs]

Well, to me, the collard is different and a little more substantial than the lettuce leaves for wraps. I haven't tried the collard wrap without marinating it first, but be prepared to either have a literal mess on your hands due to the marinate or to slice it and eat with a fork! You can also try kale leaves and see how that works as I know some use kale for wraps.

[vegangelist]

response on several different fronts:

1) yes, i think that the organic greens will taste better to you. i am a huge parsley freak for example. i eat the stuff out of hand all the time, just as a snack (no, you are the first person to think that is crazy!). last year i switched over to organic. now, when i am somewhere else and get a parsley craving (no, seriously, i get them) i will try and sample non-organic parsley (i.e. at my mom's house) and every single time it takes gross to me...it tastes bitter and even soapy tasting (truly). so, organic will be better i am almost sure of it.

2) kale is a good wrap. i use that alot. now, when i started eating veggie i could not deal with the bitterness of kale. the idea of raw kale salad was a bit intimidating. but, marinating the kale changes it drastically. even some oil and lemon juice and/or nama shoyu after 30 minutes changes everything. so, i started incorporating more and more kale into my diet that way. by juicing it with other things and by way of kale salad. so, by the time i was ready to start using it as a wrap, i was used to the flavor and bitterness of it and it was more tolerable. so, i am quite sure that the same would hold true with collard.

3) using it as a wrap though, you don't really need the marination (is that a word?...it just looks weird typed out), b/c somehow, when you have all this other flavorful gook inside it, the bitterness is drastically cut.

kristi

[Sharon in Colorado]

Thanks you two. Maybe I"ll start with kale and graduate up to collard.

And you are not crazy, Kristi, or I am just as crazy because, like you, I love parsley. I even had a craving for it as I was reading your reply. I've celebrated the Passover all my life, and dipping the parsley in the salt water at the Seder is something I'd look forward to every year. Now after I eat my killer garlic crackers I ransack the parley bag.

[Olive]

I really don't like bitter things, but I love using collard leaves as a wrap. I've only every bought organic, so it's possible there is a taste difference. They don't ever taste bitter to me . . . just crunchy and kind of green. I've also used nori sheets as a wrap, but you have to eat it immediately (literally) or else it gets a little hard to bite through!

[carolg]

Romaine works best for me for wraps.

Olive,
How do you get the collard greens to soften? I assume you take the spine out to get it to make the wrap?????????

What does Chef Alissa have to say about this?
carolg

[Allison]

We use cabbage leaves for a sturdier wrap.

Allison

[Olive]

I don't soften it--I just cut the stem off high enough that it's thinning out a bit. I end up cutting off about 1/2 to 1 inch of the bottom of the leaf. I might be weird, liking plain collard leaves, lol!

[tglasco4]

Well I don't know if I would enjoy collards raw. But you all have given me an idea about marinating them. I am planning on buying some today and marinating them in some olive oil, sea salt and basil. Then I will prepare some almond pate, with some salad and make a wrap. We'll see how it comes out.

Peace.

Todd

[Rawkinlocs]

Well I don't know if I would enjoy collards raw. But you all have given me an idea about marinating them. I am planning on buying some today and marinating them in some olive oil, sea salt and basil. Then I will prepare some almond pate, with some salad and make a wrap. We'll see how it comes out.

Peace.

Todd

Todd, I think you'll enjoy them fine! They're good as a wrap (and you KNOW if picky me says they're good, they must be! ;) )
And you don't have to marinate them very long either...not even overnight. I'm still working up to seeing if I would like them with no marinade at all...I'll let you know!

I made some yummy spring rolls for dh's lunch using collards and cabage leaves as wrappers...mmmm good! I stuffed them with mung bean sprouts, bell pepper strips, clover sprouts, zucchini ribbons, carrot ribbons (ribbons done with veg peeler), and a "rice" recipe I got from rawguru.com which is parsnips peeled and chopped in processor with pine nuts until grainy and rice-like. I marinated that mixture in a little olive oil, a dash or two of bragg's (or shoyu), ginger, garlic and onion pwd, and a little sea salt.

I taste-tested it and it was very good! I have more of the veggies and wraps so tomorrow, I'm going to cut up some collards to go in the cabbage wrap and then put some shredded cabbage in the collard wraps. :D