Collards are usually very smooth and clean, unlike kale which has lots of curls to hide sand...though like everything in the same damily as cabbage, they can host hard-to-detect green cabbage moth caterpillars.
Collards cooked in a hot and spicy vinegar- the best! Was in a production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, so this is the second time I’m hearing about this Hoppin’John! I may need to try it because it keeps coming up in my life.
You gotta look those greens good. Soak in a cold bath.
Greens and black-eyed peas need good stock, red pepper and country ham. Greens get a shot of hot pepper vinegar and some spring onions while the peas get hot sauce.