Paleo Collard Greens with Bacon

I planted a winter vegetable garden and I have more collard greens than my morning smoothies would ever need, so I've been making them in the evenings too.  If it's possible to OD on leafy greens (I'm growing spinach, beet greens, and kale as well) I'll let you know, because surely it will happen to me.

Having a garden is pretty awesome, you can go out and harvest them on demand, so if you live in an area than can handle a winter garden, plant yourself some greens!  They're super hardy and relatively low maintenance, so fear not if you find your green thumb missing.

This is by far my favorite way to prepare greens if you're cooking them.  It works with beet or dandelion greens too - or any bitter greens for that matter.

2 thick slices bacon, chopped

1 tsp coconut oil

1 large shallot, diced

2 large garlic cloves, mashed and minced

2 gigantic handfuls of collard/dandelion/beet greens

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp Grade B maple syrup

pinch salt

pinch cayenne

Heat a large skillet or dutch oven (it needs to have a lid) and add the shallot, bacon and coconut oil. Cook until bacon is done and shallots are wilted, add garlic and cook about a minute longer.  Add greens, sesame oil, maple syrup, salt & cayenne.  Cover and cook about 20 minutes.  My greens were big and old, but if you buy the smaller, younger more delicate greens they may be done in as little as 8 minutes.