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One of my greatest memories from childhood was mom and the neighbor ladies out on the farm cutting those greens by the basket and carrying them up to the outside milk kitchen, where fresh tubs of cold water waited to rinse the greens four to five times.

On a Saturday morning, the ladies came to get the fresh growing greens — Mom enjoyed sharing the abundant supply before the frost hit and destroyed them. Many times, we cut and cooked the greens for the church dinners.

I still cook them like mom, but I buy them at the produce stands and get my seasoning meat from the farmers market — farm girls call it “strip of lean and strip of fat� seasoning meat. You can also use those ham hocks, which are great for bean soup seasoning.

I am going to run out of space before I get to the turnips. Digging the turnips was done by the men on a Saturday morning. Turnips were carried to the storage shed where the sweet potatoes and white potatoes were stored.

I still love a peeled turnip raw, cut into strips and dipped in ranch dressing.

I love cooking year-round, but Sunday dinners, holiday cooking and pot luck meals are my favorite. Today I have a mixture of vegetables that are fall favorites for those upcoming dinners.

WESTLINE ROAD COLLARD GREENS3 tbsp lard or shortening (divided), 1 large onion (chopped), 6 garlic cloves (minced), 1 1/2 pounds smoked ham hocks, 6 cups water, 2 tsp seasoned salt, 1 to 3 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, 1/4 tsp sugar, 1 large bunch collard greens ( coarsely chopped).

In a 6-qt. stockpot, heat 1 tbsp lard over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, cook and stir until tender. Add ham hocks, water, seasoned salt, pepper flakes, and sugar. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until meat is tender, 55-60 minutes. Add collard greens and remaining lard. Return to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until greens are very tender, 55-60 minutes. Remove meat from bones; finely chop and return to pan. Discard bones.

MASHED TURNIPS3 pounds of turnips, 2 ½ cups water, 1 tsp salt, ¼ cup heavy cream, 2 tbsp butter, ½ cup of chopped bacon.

Peel and chop turnips. Place in a pot and cover with equal parts milk and water with salt. Bring to a simmer and cook until soft, 20 to 25 minutes; drain. Puree with heavy cream and butter. Season with chopped bacon. Use a food processor or immersion blender to puree these veggies-they’re too hard for a potato masher unless you need the workout.

ROASTED SWEET POTATOES2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 4 medium), 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp salt, black pepper.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Dice the sweet potatoes into 3/4-inch cubes, leaving the skin on. In a large bowl, mix together the sweet potatoes with the olive oil, garlic powder and salt. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the sweet potatoes on top in an even layer. Bake for about 25 minutes, until the cubes are tender and browned on the bottom. Serve warm. Store leftovers refrigerated. Make ahead instructions: Make up to 3 days in advance and reheat in a 350-degree oven.

SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE6 large, sweet potatoes (peeled and cut into chunks), 1 cup white sugar, ½ cup brown sugar, 2 tbsp ground cinnamon, 1 tbsp butter (softened), 1 cup miniature marshmallows or as many as you’d like.

Place sweet potatoes in a large pot and cover with salted water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes; drain. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, grease a deep casserole dish. Mash potatoes with a potato masher in a bowl until no large lumps remain. Stir in both sugars, cinnamon, and butter until well combined, then transfer to the prepared casserole dish. Cover with a layer of miniature marshmallows. Bake in the preheated oven until marshmallows are browned, about 30 minutes.

ROASTED BEETS6 to 8 small or medium red beets, extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling, 1 large navel orange, balsamic vinegar for drizzling, juice of ½ lemon, handful of cooked collard greens, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place each beet on a piece of foil and drizzle generously with olive oil and pinches of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Wrap the beets in the foil and roast on a baking sheet for 35 to 60 minutes, or until soft and fork-tender. The time will depend on the size and freshness of the beets. Remove the beets from the oven, remove the foil, and set aside to cool. When they are cool to the touch, peel the skins. I like to hold them under running water and slide the skins off with my hands. Use a citrus peeler to peel long strips around the orange, avoiding the white pith. Grated zest would work here also. Slice ¾ of the orange into segments and reserve the remaining ¼ wedge for squeezing. Slice the beets into 1-inch wedges or chunks and place them in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar, then add the lemon juice, orange juice squeezed from the remaining wedge, and a few pinches of salt and pepper and toss. Chill until ready to serve. Taste before serving and season with more salt (flaky sea salt, if using) and pepper or more vinegar (for more tang), orange, or lemon juice, as desired.

SWEET POTATO SALAD3 large sweet potatoes (peeled and cubed), 1 small red onion (thinly sliced into half moons), 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, salt, freshly ground black pepper, 1/2 cup dried cranberries, 1/2 cup crumbled feta, 1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley. FOR DRESSING: 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 tbsp honey, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1/4 tsp ground paprika, 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss sweet potatoes and red onion in oil then season with salt and pepper. Distribute them evenly on a sheet in a single layer. Bake until tender, about 20 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes then transfer to a large bowl. Meanwhile, make dressing: In a small bowl or in a medium liquid measuring cup, whisk together vinegar, mustard, honey, and spices. Gradually pour in oil, whisking constantly until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper. Toss sweet potatoes with dressing, cranberries, feta and parsley. Serve warm or at room temperature.

SHREDDED BRUSSELS SPROUTS AND KALE SALAD1 pound brussels sprouts (trimmed, loose leaves removed and thinly shredded), 1 bunch kale (stems removed and leaves finely chopped into ribbons), 2 medium apples of your choice (cored and thinly sliced), 1/2 cup dried cranberries, 1/3 cup candied pecans (chopped), 1/4 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese. FOR DRESSING: 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1 garlic clove (minced), 1 tsp sugar (can sub honey or maple syrup), 1/8 tsp salt, fresh ground pepper to taste. OPTIONAL: 4 slices cooked turkey bacon (chopped).

In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, sugar and salt. In a separate large bowl, toss together shredded brussels sprouts and kale mixture with your hands. Slowly pour in dressing and use your hands to massage the kale and brussels sprouts for about 5 minutes. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour or up to overnight to allow for dressing to soak into the kale and Brussels. Once ready to serve, toss in apple slices, dried cranberries and chopped candied pecans. If you’d like you can add in chopped bacon at this point and toss salad again. Finally, garnish with crumbled gorgonzola. Serve immediately. Season with freshly ground black pepper.

CABBAGE ROLLS1 head green cabbage, 1 cup uncooked rice, 1 pound ground pork, ½ pound ground beef, 2 small onions (diced), 3 cloves garlic (minced), ½ tsp dill weed, 3 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped), salt and pepper to taste, 1 can diced tomatoes (14 ounces) with juices, 1 egg, 1 ½ cups + ⅓ cup tomato sauce (divided), 1 can tomato soup.

Boil cabbage leaves for about 2 minutes or until soft. (See note below for removing leaves). Set aside to cool. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cook rice according to package directions but reduce cooking time by 5 minutes so the rice is slightly underdone. Set aside. Cook pork, beef, onions, garlic and seasonings in a pan until no pink remains. Drain any fat. Add in rice, diced tomatoes and ⅓ cup of tomato sauce. Stir in egg. Mix remaining tomato sauce and tomato soup in a bowl. Spread a very thin layer of the tomato sauce mixture in a 9-by-13-inch pan. Remove or thin and thick stem on cabbage leaves. Lay the cabbage leaf flat and add ¼ to 1�3 cup filling to the center of the leaf. Fold in the sides and roll the cabbage up. Place seam side down in the pan. Repeat with remaining cabbage. Pour sauce over the cabbage and cover tightly with foil. Bake for 75-90 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.