Kale

Season: Fall/Winter, Spring
Storage: Kale should be kept in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for no more than a few days.
Alternate names: dinosaur kale – Tuscan kale, black kale, Red Russian kale, curly kale

Fun Facts: Most varieties of kale belong to the same species of the mustard family as cabbage, broccoli, and brussels sprouts: Brassica olaracea. Kale originated in the eastern Mediterranean and the leaves of kale have a bright, sweet-spicy flavor similar to that of cabbage. Our plant shares often carry the varieties dinosaur kale, which has dark blue-green leaves with a crinkly texture, or Red Russian kale, which has deeply-toothed leaves splotched with red and purple. From Chez Panisse Vegetables by Alice Waters. 

Sautéed Kale with Garlic and Vinegar

Recipe from Chez Panisse Vegetables by Alice Waters

Ingredients

  • 2 bunches kale (about 2 pounds)

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil

  • 2 cloves garlic

  • 1 to 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

  • Salt

Instructions

  • Cut away the tough midribs of any large kale leaves. Chop coarsely and wash in plenty of water. Drain well, but do not spin dry.

  • Heat a large sauté pan and add the olive oil and enough kale to cover the bottom of the pan. Allow these greens to wilt down before adding more. When all the kale has been added, season with salt, stir in the garlic, and cover the pan. The greens will take anywhere from just a few minutes to 15 minutes to cook, depending on their maturity.

  • When they are tender, remove the lid and allow any excess water to cook away. Turn off the heat and stir in the vinegar.

Note: The kale can be served with roast chicken or other meats, or as part of an antipasto platter– in which case, allow the kale to cool, squeeze it dry with your hands, arrange on the platter, and drizzle with very good olive oil. It also makes a simple pasta dish: Put on some pasta to cook while you sauté, and when the noodles are done, toss them together with the greens, moistened with a little more olive oil and a ladle of the pasta cooking water.

South Sudan Sukuma Wiki

Recipe from Taste of South Sudan

Ingredients

  • 1 medium yellow onion (diced)

  • 2 Tbsp olive oil

  • 3 cloves minced garlic

  • 3 medium ripe heirloom tomatoes (diced)

  • 2 medium red bell pepper (diced)

  • Kale bunch (chopped)

  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

  • 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt

Instructions

  • Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add onions, and cook 5-7 minutes or until soft. Add garlic and cook another minute.

  • Add peppers and tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in salt and pepper.

  • Add kale and saute, stirring occasionally to get even cooking. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, or until greens are wilted.

Long-Stewed Red Kale

Recipe from Chez Panisse Vegetables by Alice Waters

Ingredients

  • 2 bunches red kale (about 2 pounds)

  • 1 slice smoked bacon

  • 1 onion

  • 1 small carrot

  • 3 cloves garlic

  • 1/2 cup cream

  • Grated zest of 1/2 lemon (about 1/2 teaspoon)

  • Salt and pepper

Instructions

  • Cut the bacon into small dice and render it over low heat for about 8 minutes.

  • Peel and chop the onion, carrot, and garlic into small dice and add to the bacon with a splash of water. Cover and stew the vegetables until they are soft and the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes.

  • Wash, stem, and coarsely chop the kale (or a combination of kale and mustard greens, or other winter greens). Add the kale to the vegetables along with some salt and cook uncovered over moderately high heat; the greens will give off a lot of water. Keep cooking until the liquid is almost evaporated, about 10 to 15 minutes.

  • Add half the cream and simmer until it has been almost completely absorbed, then add the other half and keep simmering until it, too, is nearly absorbed.

  • Add the lemon zest, taste and correct the seasoning, and serve.

Note: Serves 6.

Kale and Potato Soup

Recipe from Chez Panisse Vegetables by Alice Waters

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch kale (about 1 pound)

  • 2 pounds boiling potatoes

  • 2 quarts water

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • Extra-virgin olive oil

  • Optional: 1 garlic sausage

Instructions

  • Remove the stems from the kale, wash the leaves, and cut them into a chiffonade. You should have about 6 to 8 cups.

  • Peel the potatoes and chop them up very fine (Yellow Finns are good for this– or use some other flavorful boiling potato). Bring the water to a boil with salt.

  • Add the chopped potatoes, return to a boil, and cook for 2 minutes, covered.

  • Add the kale and cook 2 minutes more. Taste for seasoning.

  • If desired, serve with sliced garlic sausage heated briefly in the soup and a splash of olive oil.

Note: A Portuguese recipe, called caldo verde (green broth) in Portugal, where cabbage is often substituted for kale. The proportion of kale to potatoes in this soup is not terribly important. Nor do you need to chop the potatoes; but if you slice them, they will need to cook a little longer before you can add the kale. You can also pass the soup through a food mill and serve it as a purée; moisten it with chicken stock instead of water; or enrich it with other vegetables. One very good variation is to stew sliced shallots and garlic apart until they are very soft and caramelized, and then purée them with the kale and potatoes.

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