Collard Greens, Blue Potato and Bacon Salad

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Serving size:8
Prep Time:
Total Time:
Collard Greens, Blue Potato and Bacon Salad

Kale isn't the only green that's delicious raw: The thinly sliced collard greens in this salad are a delicious vehicle for all the goodies tossed with them, including roasted blue potatoes, bacon, crumbled Stilton cheese, toasted walnuts and hard-boiled quail eggs. Hard-boiled chicken eggs that are cut into smaller pieces would be a fine substitute.

Ingredients

  • 6 oz thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/4-inch dice
  • 1 lb baby blue potatoes, quartered
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground pepper
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnut
  • 8 quail eggs (see Note)
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • pinch of sugar
  • 4 oz stilton cheese, crumbled
  • 11/2 lb young collard greens—stems discarded and leaves halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch-thick ribbons

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°. In a large skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to paper towels.
  2. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the quartered potatoes with the rendered bacon fat and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 40 minutes, stirring once, until the potatoes are tender and browned. Let cool.
  3. Meanwhile, spread the walnuts in a pie plate. Bake for about 12 minutes, until golden and fragrant. Let cool slightly, then roughly chop the walnuts.
  4. In a small saucepan, cover the quail eggs with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Drain the eggs and cool them under cold running water. Peel the eggs and cut them in half lengthwise.
  5. In a very large bowl, whisk the olive oil with the vinegar, mustard and sugar. Season the dressing with salt and pepper. Add the collards, bacon and potatoes and toss well. Scatter the toasted walnuts, eggs and Stilton on top and serve.

Notes: Hard-boiled chicken eggs that are cut into smaller pieces would be a fine substitute for quail eggs.

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Recipe Credit: Melia Marden
Image Credit: Paul Costello