Smashed Garlic Collard Greens

Smashed Garlic Greens: a three headed soul food.

Collards and kale are less than a buck a pound and even cheaper, healthier and heartier than spinach.
I use these tools:
an Asian cleaver or a sharp knife,
a cutting board,
an eight quart Presto Pressure Cooker,
a 12" cast iron skillet.

Get a fresh head of garlic and smash the cloves a few at a time pounding sideways on the cleaver using fist while yelling joyfully yes, yes, yes!

Heat the cast iron skillet, pour in bloops of extra virgin olive oil purchased for a bargain from Job Lot, sprinkle in dried red chili pepper flakes from Asian American market. Rinse the three heads of kale or collards a few times in water to get out any sand (or bugs!) Chop the heads into one to two inch pieces and then pressure cook those gorgeous greens for three minutes in a quart of water if it's an eight quart pressure cooker, less if it's a smaller cooker. Save the quart of leftover green translucent syrupy liquid remaining in the pressure cooker and transfer into a glass canning jar. Label the liquid and date it with a sharpie marker so you don't mistake it for tea! Vegetable stock is money in the bank! Use it to replace water in soup or bread recipes, muffins or waffles or cake recipes. Or anything else you think of! Sometimes I'll salt it and add a tiny dash of olive oil and drink it as a delicious hot broth.

Then add soy sauce, kosher salt, and Job Lot balsamic vinegar to your greens to taste! It's impossible not to eat this joyfully...it's even better than potato chips. I crave dark greens and I bet once you eat these you will too. It's also fun to grate fresh ginger root into the frying pan with the olive oil chili and garlic. Sometimes I add frozen corn niblets to brighten the color with yellow polka dots, and sweeten the taste. Enjoy!