Citrus Collards with Raisins Redux

Ingredients

• 2 large bunches collard greens rinsed drained cut into a chiffonade, and
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil extra-virgin
• 0.3 cup orange juice freshly squeezed
• 0.7 cup raisins 

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• knife
• pot
• colander

Directions

1. In a large pot over high heat, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon salt.
2. Add the collards and cook, uncovered, for 8 to 10 minutes, until softened. Meanwhile, prepare a large bowl of ice water to cool the collards.
3. Remove the collards from the heat, drain, and plunge them into the bowl of cold water to stop cooking and set the color of the greens.
4. Drain by gently pressing the greens against a colander.
5. In a medium-size sauté pan, combine the olive oil and the garlic and raise the heat to medium. Sauté for 1 minute.
6. Add the collards, raisins, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sauté for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
7. Add orange juice and cook for an additional 15 seconds. Do not overcook (collards should be bright green). Season with additional salt to taste if needed and serve immediately. (This also makes a tasty filling for quesadillas.)
8. Chiffonade
9. The chiffonade cut is used to produce very fine threads of leafy fresh herbs as well as greens and other leafy vegetables. First, remove any tough stems that would prevent the leaf from being rolled tightly (reserve them for stocks or salads). Next, stack several leaves, roll them widthwise into a tight cylinder, and slice crosswise with a sharp knife, cutting the leaves into thin strips.
10. From Vegan Soul Kitchen: Fresh, Healthy, and Creative African-American Cuisine by Bryant Terry. Copyright © 2009 by Bryant Terry. Published by Da Capo Press, a member of the Perseus Books Group. Reprinted by permission.