Steamed Collards with Lemon Balm Cream

Collard greens take on a tangy yet mellow flavour after being steamed in a bath of sumptuously smooth creamy sauce.

• 2 kgs of collard greens, stems removed and
• discarded, sliced crosswise into ½ inch strips
• ¼ cup of butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup of full cream
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh lemon balm
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

Place the chopped collard greens in a steamer basket over 4cm of boiling water, cover, and steam until tender, about 20 minutes or longer depending on the thickness of the leaves.

Meanwhile melt the butter over medium-low heat. 

Sprinkle in the flour and stir it to form a thick paste.

Stir in ¼ cup of the cream, and then gradually add the rest of the cream, stirring in thoroughly so that the mixture slowly changes from a thick to a thin, runny sauce.

Stir in the lemon balm and add salt and pepper to taste. Continue cooking, stirring constantly until
thick again. Remove from the heat.

Pour the sauce over the collards, toss to coat well.

From ‘Farmers John’s Cookbook – The real dirt on
vegetables’. Available at Harvest Wholefoods.