"The Holy Grail of Collards"

George's yellow-cabbage collards.

The Raleigh Downtown Farmers Market opened Wednesday at the City Plaza on Fayetteville Street, and yellow-cabbage collards were available for tasting and for purchase.  Bob Garner, a Southern food expert, explained that this variety of collards is more tender and sweeter than the ordinary green collards.  He described them as "the holy grail of collards".

George Wooten (left) and Bob Garner describing the collards.

This variety of collards is not grown by commercial farms, but by farmers in the Edgecombe County area of North Carolina.  The Pit, a restaurant in downtown Raleigh, includes these in their menu, and there were samples available from George Wooten at the Market.  I tried them, and they are delicious.  George also had some for sale, and I brought some home to cook.  I thought even Dan, who is not a fan of collards, might like these.

Collards cooking with a ham hock according to George's instructions.

So I cooked these last night. We had a real southern meal---collards and cornbread, and I even had some buttermilk.  I think maybe Dan does like these collards better than the dark green ones.

A real southern meal: collards, cornbread, 'maters, and buttermilk. 

 Why don't you go down to the City Plaza in Raleigh some Wednesday and get some of George's special collards?  I think you will like them.