Greens Gumbo - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 bunch each: collard, turnip, mustard, kale, carrot tops, radish tops, watercress
2 bunches beet tops
1 head cabbage
3 lb. spinach
2 lb. slab bacon, cut into 4 pieces
2 medium onions, chopped
1 c. chopped celery, green pepper and sliced scallions
1 bunch parsley
10 c. water
5 cloves chopped garlic
1 lb. smoked ham, cut in bite size pieces
1 lb. Creole sausage, bite size pieces (I use any type of spicy sausage available)
4 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. thyme and sweet basil
3 bay leaves
1/2 tsp. allspice and cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
salt and freshly ground pepper
8 Tbsp. butter (1 stick)
5 Tbsp. flour

Preparation

Pick the greens, removing all dead leaves and large stems. Wash them several times.
Place the greens in a large pot along with the bacon, onions, parsley, celery, green pepper and water. Bring to a boil; lower the heat and cook, covered, for 1 to 2 hours until the greens are tender.
Drain the greens, reserving the cooking liquid.
Discard the bacon.
When the greens are cool enough to handle, divide them in half.
Coarsely chop half and put the other half through a blender or processor.
In the pot, without liquid, saute the scallions, garlic, ham and sausage in the vegetable oil for 10 minutes.