Cook up some greens worthy of envy

What's great in the produce aisle this week? Almost anything, says Darryl Mosher, assistant professor of Culinary Arts at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. Because of advances in production and distribution systems, most produce is available all year to consumers, he says. For example, from southern California we're getting lettuces and bell peppers, and he's starting to see asparagus and even strawberries, but you may want to hold off on these yet. In the Northeast, stored items, such as root veggies, winter squash and potatoes, are coming from more local places. With the mild winter, however, cabbage and collards, one of Mosher's favorites, are best buys. "My local markets source (their collards) from North Carolina," he says. "Look for a good proportion of leaf to stem and full dark-green leaves. Make sure they have few holes -- moths and caterpillars love them -- and the leaf edges are not dry or browning."

Mosher likes to put a pot of collards on his wood-burning stove to simmer all day and dip into it when he's hungry. If that sounds good to you, too, he suggests chopping both the stem and leaf for the longer cooking time and use only non-reactive cookware, such as stainless steel. "The sulfur in the collards can react with aluminum and create an unpleasant order and alter the color (of the leaves) to a drab greenish brown," he says.

Collards are inexpensive and are packed full of nutrients, he adds. So cook up a mess of greens tonight. They're extra good served with fried chicken and biscuits, Mosher says.

STEWED COLLARD GREENS

Serves 4

1 large bunch of collard greens

2 or 3 slices of bacon

1 medium sweet onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 quart chicken stock

Coarse black pepper, to taste

Remove stem ends from collard greens, rinse, and chop into ¼-inch pieces. In a large sauté pan, render bacon until it is lightly brown. Crumble bacon and keep in pan. Reduce the heat to low. Add onion and garlic and sweat (continue cooking) until soft. Add collards and stir until they are wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add stock and pepper and bring to a simmer.

Simmer for two hours or until tender (don't worry collards hold up well to extended cook time). Make sure to keep enough liquid to cover the greens. You can also use a lid to keep in the moisture.

efischer@ctpost.com; 203-330-6481.