Monday, December 30, 2013

Collard Greens with Pickled Pears


An abundance of winter greens lies ahead! Eating locally during the colder months doesn’t offer nearly the bounty of the warmer seasons, but fortunately we have a wide variety of hearty greens such as chard, kale and collards to keep us going.


Around now, after a bit (or rather, a lot) of indulgent eating during the holidays, I am usually craving crunchy fresh greens and lately this salad of Collard Greens with Pickled Pears has been topping my list.


Eating collard greens uncooked in a salad was new to me until introduced by my friend Deb, a truly talented cook. She made Collard Greens with Pickled Apples and I think I had at least three servings over the course of our dinner together! Pickled apples? I was shaking my head wondering why I hadn’t thought of doing this sooner. I’ve since made the salad on a few occasions and this last time decided to use pears in place of the apples.


The sliced pears are steeped in a warm bath of apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt and water. When ready to eat, they are tossed with thin ribbons of grassy green collards, a drizzle of fruity olive oil and a scattering of toasted seeds or nuts.


A tempting wedge of blue Stilton cheese (always tasty with pears) was on the kitchen counter, so I crumbled some in for a luxurious touch.


This hearty salad is a bold one – sweet and tart, crunchy and creamy. It is virtuous eating at its best and will deliver you into the new year happy and satisfied.


Wishing you all a delicious 2014!


Collard Greens with Pickled Pears
Adapted from Epicurious. com
Serves 4-6

3 medium sized, firm pears (I used red and Bartlett)
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup pepitas or pumpkin seeds, toasted
1 bunch collard greens, stems removed and thinly sliced across into 1/4 inch ribbons
Olive oil to drizzle
Salt and pepper to taste
Small wedge of Stilton cheese, crumbled (optional)

Core and slice the pears into eighths and set aside in a heatproof bowl. In a medium sized saucepan, bring the cider vinegar, water, coconut sugar and salt to a boil and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the pears and return to a boil, then pour the whole mixture back into the heatproof bowl. Chill the pears uncovered for at least an hour. If using later, cover and keep cold for a day or two.

To assemble salad, drain the pears and reserve a few tablespoons of the pickling liquid. Gently toss the pears, seeds and greens together in a serving bowl. Drizzle on a little olive oil, add a couple tablespoons of pickling liquid, salt and pepper to taste and gently toss again. If using, crumble some Stilton cheese over the top and serve.

16 comments:

  1. I love this! I haven't pickled pears but I am imagining that it is fabulous. So great to see you today and very excited about what 2014 is going to bring! xoxoxo

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    1. Thanks so much, Alyssa! What a treat to spend time with you. And yes, 2014 is looking exciting! Happy New Year to you! xoxo

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  2. What a unique salad. So many flavors and textures! I've only had collard greens with comfort food or just sautéed. This looks great and so healthy. I never would have thought to picks the pears. Happy New year, hannah!

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    1. Happy New Year to you Amanda! The raw collards are really quite good and I know I'll be making more variations of this salad during the winter months. I hope your holidays were happy!

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  3. I would never have thought to eat collards raw. I love pickled peaches so I'm sure pears are delicious prepared the same way. Willing you all the best in the New Year.

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    1. Thank you, Karen! Happy New Year to you! Now you have me craving pickled peaches...I'll definitely give those a try. Hope you enjoy the salad!

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  4. I love collard greens, and we're having some in Hoppin' John Soup today! But I've never eaten raw collard greens. I gotta try this! Raw kale and Brussels sprouts are so good, and I'll bet these are too. Love the pickled pears! Happy New Year!

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    1. Happy New Year to you and Mrs K R, John! I haven't tried a raw Brussels sprouts salad yet, and will do so soon. I'll bet your Hoppin' John Soup was delicious!

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  5. Lovely with the pickled pears. Happy new year!

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    1. Thank you, Lynda! I'm definitely going to be pickling more fruit this year - so good. Happy New Year to you! I hope it's off to a good beginning.

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  6. I love this salad Hannah, I have everything I need to make it, never thought of eating collards raw, it sounds wonderful. Making it tonigjt! A very Happy New Year to you and your family!

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    1. It's delicious. Raw collards are a revelation, fresh a little spicy. I had young collards so they were very tender.

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    2. Suzanne, I'm delighted you made the salad and enjoyed it! Thanks so much for letting me know. Young collards sound so good - I'll have to look for some myself. Happy 2014 to you and I hope you have a wonderful year ahead. I look forward to more delicious recipes from you!

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  7. Wonderful salad! Love that you had the courage to go raw with the collards.

    We're going to share this link on our social media so our followers can see how you did this. Thanks for a wonderful recipe!

    --Your friendly Southern California farmers from Cut 'N Clean Greens

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    1. Hi, thank you so much for sharing this recipe! Going raw is delicious and definitely has me thinking of other greens. I'm happy you stopped by.

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  8. I've never pickled a pear but I have everything I need to make this in the kitchen. I'm thinking about a grilled seitan collard wrap with pickled pears.

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