Greens — collard, turnip, mustard, and more — are a defining staple of southern food culture. Seemingly always a part of the southern plate, these cruciferous vegetables have been crucial in the nourishing of generations of southerners. Having already been celebrated in operatic terms — composer Price Walden’s “Leaves of Green” includes this lyrical note: “From age to age the South has hollered / The praises of the toothsome collard” — greens now get their leafy culinary due in Thomas Head’s Savor the South® cookbook.
Head provides a fascinating culinary and natural history of greens in the South, as well as an overview of the many varieties of edible greens that are popular in the region. Including practical information about cultivation, selection, and preparation, Head also shows how greens are embraced around the world for their taste and healthfulness. The fifty-three recipes run from classic southern “potlikker” styles to new southern and global favorites. From Basic Southern Greens to Turnip Green Tarts to Greens Punjabi-Style, cooks will find plenty of inspiration to go green.