When the Greens Tell My Truth
Some people learned how to cook standing at their grandmother’s side.
Me?
I learned from cookbooks.
My grandma didn’t cook.
And my mama stopped cooking when I was born —
the third and final batch of babies.
So there was no apron, no passed-down recipe cards, no “watch how I do this.”
What I had was curiosity…
and a daddy who bought me my first cookbook at sixteen,
like he was handing me a passport to a new world.
By thirteen, I was already in the kitchen dabbling —
measuring, tasting, adjusting, starting over.
By my late teens, I was haunting bookstore clearance racks,
snatching up cookbooks like they were treasure.
Later, Amazon deliveries started showing up like culinary love letters.
When I wanted something new or unfamiliar,
I went hunting —
reading food blogs, scrolling recipes,
and when the dish was outside my culture,
YouTube became my auntie in the kitchen,
showing me techniques and traditions one click at a time.
So when these collard greens went into my slow cooker this week,
they weren’t nostalgia.
They were earned.
Low and slow, these greens simmered while life kept moving —
kids with IEPs, a husband coaching,
emails, prayers, therapies, and hope.
And when I lifted that lid?
Tender greens.
Smoky meat.
Bright vinegar.
Depth you can’t rush.
These greens didn’t come from my grandma.
They came from a girl who read, tried, failed, learned, and kept going.
And that, right there,
is a legacy too.
—
Lela J. Fagan
Memoirs of a Black Girl
Lela’s Slow-Cooker Collard Greens
(Clearance-rack cookbooks. Ancestor-approved results.)
Ingredients
- 2–3 bunches fresh collard greens, chopped
- Smoked turkey, ham hocks, or neck bones
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2–3 cups water
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
Seasonings
Season until your spirit says stop:
- Goya Green Seasoning
- Goya Sazón
- Tony Chachere’s or Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
- Old Bay
- Garlic & onion seasoning
(No black pepper — peace only.)
Prep
- Rinse greens well.
- Remove thick center stems.
- Roll leaves and slice into ¼-inch ribbons.
- Soak in water + white vinegar + sea salt for 5 minutes.
- Drain and rinse.
Cook
- Add smoked meat to slow cooker.
- Add onions, peppers, and greens.
- Pour in water and apple cider vinegar.
- Add seasonings generously.
- Stir.
Cook on LOW for 9–10 hours
(overnight or while you’re out conquering the world).
© 2026, Lela Fagan. All rights reserved.
