“G” is for Greens. Perhaps nowhere in the United States have greens been so beloved as in the American South. South Carolina has a long history of cooking greens—typically collards, turnip greens, and some wild leaf greens. Collards came to South Carolina from Africa and turnips from England. Some greens, such as poke salat and dandelion greens grow wild. All greens must be washed thoroughly to avoid grittiness. The traditional southern method of cooking collards and turnips is to make a broth with salted pork meat and water. The greens are stripped of their tough stems and leaves added to the boiling water, The heat is reduced, and the greens left to simmer for up to two hours. When served on New Year’s Day, greens are considered a promise of “greenbacks” in the coming year.
“G” is for Greens
