Peaches and BBQ Garbanzo Beans, Collard Greens + Cornbread

(check the cornbread mix though, and use that number, they vary)

Roughly chop up the 2 ripest and softest peaches and add them to a blender (we love a bullet style blender for this) with the BBQ sauce. Buzz it a few times until its smooth. Reserve the remaining peaches for later on.

Transfer to a small sauce pan and bring to a simmer. Drain the garbanzo beans, reserving just 2 Tablespoons of the aquafaba (fancy work for the garbanzo bean liquid) and place it and the beans into the sauce. Simmer on low, stirring occasionally for 10 and up to 20 minutes.

Follow the package instructions. Usually, it means whisking an egg and a little bit of milk into the dry package. Scrape into muffin cups or an 8x8 inch pan and bake as directed. Generally, they bake for 20 minutes.

If your greens are from a farmer’s market, they’re likely to be dirtier. In this case, get a large bowl filled with water in your sink and tear the leaves off the stems into the bowl. If they don’t seem to have actual dirt clumps on them, you can just tear the leaves into a colander and run water over them.

Either way, turn the leaves to coat and fully clean. Tear them into 2” pieces.

Line up the stems on the cutting board and slice them into ¼” thick round. When you get to the very bottom, where its thickest, you can stop if they’re too woody.

Thinly slice the red onion and mince the garlic.

Heat medium pot with tall sides and add the olive oil. Add the garlic, onion, and collard stems to the pot and stir occasionally over medium high heat. (If using ham or bacon, you’d add it here) Cook about 4-5 minutes until sizzling and fragrant. Add the leaves. It’s perfectly fine if water is still clinging to the leaves. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes.

Shuck the corn. To cook, either: boil it for 10 minutes in salted water. BBQ it on an outdoor grill. Place it on a baking sheet in the oven for about 8 minutes. Or, place the bare corn over the grate of an indoor gas grill, turning occasionally until it’s charred.

When the collards have cooks for the first 10 minutes, add the salt and vinegar. Stir and cover, turn the heat down to medium low. Cook another 15-20 minutes, returning to stir occasionally. If you prefer them a little bit sweeter, a ½ teaspoon of honey or 1 Tablespoon or orange juice tastes really good.

When done, taste them, if needed, add another pinch of salt.

Slice the remaining peaches into large pieces. If you have “freestone” peaches, you can easily cut them in half and the pit falls out. Perfect. But if not, you have to pry the pit out and they might look a little ragged, its ok.

Heat a large saute pan over high heat and melt 1 teaspoon of butter in the pan. Add the peaches, cut side down and sear until they smell fragrant and are charred on the edges. Remove from the pan when done.

Slice the cornbread. Plate a big scoop of greens and add the beans along side. Serve each ear of corn with a Tablespoon of butter and salt. Serve charred peaches alongside. Top cornbread and be sure to serve that with a good pat of butter and perhaps a drizzle of honey.