EVERGREENS

Collards are the oldest members of the brassica family. Often thought to have originated in the eastern Mediterranean, they’re more likely to have descended from Asian wild cabbages before recorded history.

The greens made their way to Africa where they became a staple. So how did these leafy brassicas find their place among the iconic dishes of the American south, along with black-eyed peas and turnip greens? They were one of the few crops the African slaves were allowed to grow and cook for themselves. The slaves applied their impressive culinary skills to make them not just palatable but delicious.

The name comes from the word , a medieval