Learning to Love Kale
The first time I grew kale in the garden was 3 years ago. I planted some ‘Red Russian’ kale in my winter garden after reading Four-Season Harvest by Eliot Coleman. It overwintered beautifully, seeded down, and I’ve had an abundance of kale in my garden ever since. (seed source for Red Russian Kale: Baker Creek)
This year I also added ‘Lacinato’ Kale to my garden (seed source: Southern Exposure). The only problem is – I’m not a big fan of cooked kale. I don’t mind a few handfuls thrown into soup, but in general I have never been a big fan of cooked greens, something about the texture. I love cabbage and other brassicas, but kale has always been at the bottom of the list. I’ll keep trying different ways of cooking it.I am determined, however, to not let my dislike of specific things hold me back from eating things that are healthy and good for me. So I keep growing kale, and I keep trying different cooking methods.
Kale is a member of the brassica family along with: cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, arugula, rutabaga, radish and mustard. Along with other brassicas, kale is a powerhouse vegetable. It provides more nutritional value per calorie than almost any other food around. It contains over 45 different flavanoids, vitamins A, K, C, magnesium, copper, calcium, vitamin B6, potassium, and many more. It also contains antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrients, macronutrients, and cancer-preventive nutrients called glucosinolates. Cooked kale is healthier than raw kale, so it’s important to cook it lightly and with some fat to make the vitamins more available and more easily absorbed. Here’s a great article on the health benefits of kale if you’d like to learn more. Kale is also easy to grow in the garden, especially here in NE Ohio where our summers can be fickle and can easily cause broccoli and cauliflower to bolt before them produce heads. Kale seems not to mind the warm weather, although it’s flavor is mellowed by frost and cool weather. Kale overwinters beautifully without any protection at all. I have had Red Russian kale growing in my front flowerbed for the past three years. It survives the winter, flowers in spring, seeds itself down and I have a nice crop for harvesting throughout fall, winter and spring.
Last week we had kale braised in bacon grease with garlic with eggs poached on top. It was pretty good, not my favorite food, but that’s OK – sometimes eating is about nourishing yourself and not about loving what you eat. I hope that someday I will love kale, but I’m not sure that will happen. Another way I’ve discovered that’s pretty good is to make a very garlicky chicken stock and throw lots of kale in about 5 minutes before you’re going to serve it. I’ve also got a batch of kale kimchi brewing at the moment and we’ll see if we like that as much as cabbage kimchi.
How do you feel about cooked greens? Any great recipes to share? Do you grow anything in your garden that you’re not particularly fond of eating?
Filed under Edible | Comments (59)
I love greens.. all of them. I never met a green I didnt like.. but I like them prepared the way they do in “the south”.
Mine isnt quite as good as some I’ve eaten so I missing something I think but I use bacon grease, onion, a tablespoon of sugar, a few squirts of hot sauce such as Louisiana Hot Sauce (or Petes), and apple cider vinegar. I’ve often eaten it with bacon or ham pieces in there too.. Good stuff.
Just had a mess of kale & chard greens day before yesterday. Gotta say, I do love t hem!
to KimH's comment
That’s a mighty fine southern greens recipe! My momma just pressure cooked greens with a “ham hock”(a smoked joint bone from a pig) and a big plop of bacon grease out of the Maxwell house coffee can in the fridge. After served, sprinkle with pickled hot pepper juice.
to Lisa's comment
i’m about to try cooking it as ‘crisps’, covered in olive oil, then baked in the oven till crisp, then eaten with a little added salt, seems like it has potential to me…
am continuing to enjoy your blog, thanks for your efforts with it, the daily posting is impressive!
to Christy's comment
Like Christy posted above, kale “chips” are yummy! I love them with salt and balsamic vinegar, tossed in olive oil.
to Christine's comment
I love Kale especially Winterbore. One of my favorite self designed dish is pasta and kale. While the whole wheat pasta is cooking in a 3qt pot the kale is being steamed above it. I drain the pasta and put it back into the pot with olive oil and then add the kale. I mix it well and dump into a pasta bowl. I sprinkle it liberally with Parmesan cheese and enjoy a pretty much guilt free feast My son who lives in Russia introduced me to steaming the kale and then using Balsamic vinegar on it. Very good.
to Jennifer Fisk's comment
I do love vinegar (especially balsamic) on just about anything.
to Susy's comment
I love how you will admit that you don’t necessarily love eating kale and other greens! I am in complete agreement. But, as you are, also willing to keep trying to find a way to like them. I am determined to not just tolerate greens, but actually enjoy eating them. I have tried kale chips and liked them but just don’t over-bake them or your kitchen will smell awful!
to Toni's comment
I also do not like cooked greens. When I use greens in Fritatta, soup, or casserole, it is added at the end so it softens and wilts just a little. Have you tried eating it raw? How about Kale Chips? In smoothies?
to TreeHugginMomma's comment
I also grow alot of kale for my daughter who loves it, but I really don’t care for it however ,it is easy to grow and looks attractive mixed in withh other flowers and vegetabales. I do love swiss chard though. A friend just told me about the kale chips so I will try that this weekend. I like it in quiche also.
to Kathi's comment
I grew Red Russian kale in my heated garage studio all winter under a simple daylight flourescent light and it did great. We ate the kale chopped up fresh as a salad addition. Now it’s growing outside still in the same container. I also have, new, Nero di Toscana which is like the Dinosaur kale you have and a beautiful plant. It is also good fresh in salads. But I did not know kale should be lightly cooked, as you mention in this article. Like you, I am not a fan of cooked greens.
to Sande's comment
I think marinading it for a few minutes in vinegar will also help make the nutrients and vitamins more available if you like to eat it fresh. Kind of like making kimchi or sauerkraut which helps make brassicas more digestible.
to Susy's comment
The kale chips are really good, one of the reasons I’m adding kale to my fall/winter garden this year! My personal favorite way to eat it is a quick saute with garlic, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Swiss chard is fabulous this way too!
to Melissa's comment
I’ve always thought about making kale chips but have yet to get around to it. I’ll have to try that and blog about it someday this fall/winter.
to Susy's comment
Hmm…Kale chips…I’ll need to give that some thought…
to Mistresseve's comment
Must be my southern heritage that makes me really dislike undercooked greens. And by “undercooked” I mean not cooked until they’re limp and dead. This whole cooking until just bright green? No way. Especially crunchy stuff like kale.
We just ate some kale the other night, but I really much prefer it after a frost. Too bitter in the summer for me. Oddly, my generally vegetable-hating husband will ALWAYS eat greens. So I cook a lot of them. Chard, turnip greens, collards, kale, spinach . . . we always have a big bag of some kind of greens in the refrigerator.
to kristin @ going country's comment
I actually LOVE raw kale, mostly in massaged kale salads. I drizzle the kale with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and massage it with my hands for a minute or so. Then I make the rest of my meal, and by that time, the kale acquires almost a cooked texture. I sometimes squeeze half a lemon into it, and like to include onions and tomatoes. It’s a great salad! I didn’t like kale until I tried it.
to Kat's comment
Yes, raw kale slads are great. I toss thinly ribboned lacinato with an asian viniagrette–ginger, tamari, rice vinegar, a little sesame oil and some olive oi. Let it all macerate together for at least an hour. Top with toasted sesame seeds or tamari almonds. Yum!
to Jenny's comment
My husband and I have never been big lovers of cooked greens either. Several years ago, we tried a recipe from a cookbook titled The Herbal Kitchen, and the recipe was so good it went into our regular food rotation (when kale is in season). It starts with several slices of good bacon, garlic, red pepper flakes, and some fresh oregano that are sauteed together. Then you add a bunch of kale and let it wilt down. In the meantime, you cook some orrechiette pasta. When the pasta is finished, add it to the kale mixture along with some parmesan cheese and a little pasta cooking liquid. It is a spicy, slightly cheesy dish with the benefits of kale. Give it a try!
to Virginia's comment
Thanks for the recipe – sounds great – especially since it has bacon and cheese!
to Susy's comment
I was never served cooked greens as a kid because my parents didn’t like them, but I wish they had! I grew kale for the first time this year and I’ve been really enjoying it sauteed with garlic or on top of homemade pizzas.
to Daedre Craig's comment
On pizzas is a great idea – I’ll often put spinach or arugula on pizza and in omelets.
to Susy's comment
I love Kale…and for some reason, have yet to plant it in my garden! I need to get some in, for sure, for Fall!
I have a wonderful recipe for Kale & Chickpea soup I need to dig up and I can share.
to Allison's comment
My favorite greens cookbook is Greens Glorious Greens! by Johnna Albi & Catherine Walthers. It’s just chock full of tasty recipes for preparing all kinds of “greens” from spinach, arugula, chard, beet greens, dandelion, bok choy to kale and more. Check it out: http://www.amazon.com/Greens-Glorious-Great-Tasting-Super-Healthy-Beautiful/dp/0312141084/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1311685662&sr=1-1.
to Lisa's comment
Thanks Lisa.. Im definitely going to check it out!
to KimH's comment
We put kale in beef stew in the winter time, with mushrooms, onion, garlic and carrots. Just put the kale in for the last few minutes, so that it wilts but stays green.
to Margaret's comment
The Dutch mash it in potatoes ( called Boerenkool Stamppot), great with sausage or crisp bacon bits on top. See recipe : }
http://www.food.com/recipe/boerenkool-stamppot-kale-hash-33269
Susy, do you cover all your winter veggies with a plastic cover, or are they exposed to the elements?
to Louise's comment
I still haven’t cooked kale. We use it all the time in smoothies, but that’s about it for me. I keep planning to cook it, but it hasn’t happened yet.
to Barefeet In The Kitchen's comment
I grew kale last year. It was beautiful. I had read a lot of great things about kale chips and decided to try them.
Wash the leaves. Bake after drizzling with balsamic vinegar and salt. They turned out like the they should have, but they tasted terrible to me.
I don’t think I’ll probably ever try kale again. I took al I had grown and sold it at a local produce auction :)
to Andrea's comment
We love kale, grow way too much of it so the poultry get a generous share and so does the dehydrator. It’s the primary ingredient in our “veggie crumble” — dried side-leaves of greens, with a few dried herbs, which we use in everything — soups, breads, stir fries, quiches, rice, pasta …
to risa's comment
I adore kale and other cooked greens! This year something ate my first crop of kale and I’ve been mourning it ever since. There’s more coming, but it’s still tiny.
It’s nice to crave something unambiguously healthy and low in calories, as opposed to my more typical chocolate and cheese cravings.
to Teresa's comment
I love Lacinato kale! I add it tp tomato-based soups like minestrone in lieu of spinach. It hols its shape beautifully and is delicious. As someone pointed out, balsamic vinegar really tames the bitterness of kale and I love a nice splash on kale to make it yummier. Another way I like to eat Lacinato kale is raw and massaged with avocados, it is so good!!! Here is a similar recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aarti-sequeira/massaged-kale-salad-recipe/index.html
to Estelle's comment
I would love to see a post on kale chips if you do in fact experiment with it!
to SixBalloons's comment
I’m not really a kale lover either but this is my favourite way to eat kale.
Pick kale after first frost is a definite plus. The frost tends to sweeten it. Chop it up and boil it. Along side, in another pot boil potatoes. When potatoes are cooked mash them up with potato masher. Drain cooked kale, reserving the water. Chop up kale, add to mashed potatoes, mix well. Add some reserved water if the potato mixture is a bit dry. My mom served the reserved water at the table since some people liked this a little more moist than others. We had this mixed served with a milk butter sauce and a side of smoked sausage. As a kid I called it Boerenkool Pizza. Found a picture to show you on the net. http://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://www.nentjes.info/Bill/boerenkool_met_worst.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.nentjes.info/Bill/koken01-en.htm&h=384&w=512&sz=47&tbnid=er2CKgIDY26Y-M:&tbnh=90&tbnw=120&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dboerenkool%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=boerenkool&docid=9zmHg1BoXHJ9oM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=DeMuToXXKPTp0QHQg4ycAQ&sqi=2&ved=0CC4Q9QEwBA
Try it you just might like it. :)
to Debbie's comment
I love kale pesto!! Just quickly steam it and then using a food processor, break it down with some fresh basil, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese and olive oil!! It’s delish!!
to foodies at home's comment
Life is too short to bother growing things I don’t like on purpose. I grow plenty of things unintentionally that I don’t like. I call them weeds.
to MAYBELLINE's comment
wow, kale kimchi? sign me up. my tuscan kale trick is to cook it probably a bit more than you are: it softens up greatly and gets very sweet. I initially sautée it (roughly chopped) with garlic, chili flakes and chopped onion, then open-pan braise it until it’s very tender. Basically, once the initial sautée is done, salt & pepper, then tip in 1/2 c hot water/stock and cook on high until the water is gone. Repeat 3-4 times. It’ll be so sweet and delicious, you’ll want to eat it on toast :) Oh, a little parmesan on top never hurts.
to blake's comment
Hi guys! I didn’t (honestly) read all the comments, so if this has already been posted as a recipe then sorry for the redundancy… :) We actually very much love this Kale Sausage soup…
http://theweedpatch.typepad.com/fromthepatch/2008/03/sausage-kale-so.html
:) Good luck finding a recipe that makes you fall in love with kale! :)
to Chris's comment
My parent’s and I have had Kale different ways and that is the name of one of our bucks (male goat).
Amy
to goatpod2's comment
I grow turnips and beets and eggplant, even though I don’t like to eat them. My neighbor and mom and friends like to eat them, so I just give it all to them. I get a lot of joy out of giving my produce to the people I love, and I enjoy trying different things in the garden. Plus it helps with the rotation of crops.
to Corrie's comment
I’m the same with eggplant – not a huge fan. I’ve tried it so many different ways. If I make ratatouille and chopped and mixed in with spaghetti sauce or in vegetable lasagna – but I’ve never been a fan of them cooked as a main dish.
to Susy's comment
Smoothies! Mixed berries, ice, yogurt, and a few leaves. Don’t even know its there!
to Carrie's comment
Here in northern Spain people have been eating kale (the taller variety, about 1,5 m) for centuries, in fact it was the only vegetable during the winter. The traditional way is to make a stew with beans or chickpeas, potatoes and some meat. We keep it altogether cooking really slowly till the beans are cooked. A lot of the vitamins disappear from the kale but stay in the soup and the flavour is much more pleasant. It’s curious because you don’t usually find it in the markets because nowadays is considered animal food (lucky them) in the cities but in the small towns everybody grows and eats them. It’s a strong taste, not going to deny it, but once you get used to it cabbage becomes tasteless. And if you want a real boost of vitamin C, make kale juice with honey. Greetings from Spain.
to Paloma Calderon's comment
Google kale chips, very yummy. I also make soup with chicken stock, veggies, white beans and kale.
to Lisa's comment
My husband loves kale and we grow it specifically for his annual pork and kale cook up – it’s a traditional German dish. It’s several types of smokes pork cuts, boiled for a couple of hours with kale and served with boiled potatoes. He cooks enough for a week and says it gets better every day. I don’t eat it with him.
I wanted to comment on your egg and kale dish – I love that. It’s very similar to the German Spinat mit Spiegelei (spinach and fried egg), which is love and I think it much healthier than boiling the kale for hours. We use the curly (scottish) kale for most of our kale dishes but we also grow Cavolo (black kale). I like that very young, in salad.
to rhonda hetzel's comment
I do not like cooked greens. At all. There are two ways I like kale. One is baked kale chips. They’re super simple and surprisingly good, offering a little bit of salty goodness. The other is a raw kale salad. The secret is in the dressing. If you google “hail to the kale” you’ll find it (probably a video; I know, I hate recipes on video). The dressing is a peanutty dream, kind of like a satay sauce, but it’s totally fat free and SO good.
Now if I could just get my chickens to stay away from the kale in my garden…
to Kris @ Attainable Sustainable's comment
The book Serving Up the Harvest (Andrea Chesman) has a great recipe for kale calzone. It uses lots of basil which goes really well with the kale. I also really like the kale “chips” that have been mentioned.
to AGinPA's comment
You dislike of kale may be genetic. The ability to taste phenothiocarbamide is a recessive trait and it is a bitter compound found in cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, brussel sprouts, greens, etc). The bitterness can’t be cooked out if you are a taster. And if you are a non-taster, brussell sprouts are yummy, buttery petite heads of lettuce. To us supertasters, they are like supersonic ASPIRIN. Foul and nasty. I beat the bitterness with animal fat (texture and mouth feel), tart (vinegar) and spice (red pepper). But…you just might never LIKE greens…and it might be in your genes.
to Lisa's comment
Liking cilantro is supposed to be similar. It’s genetic whether or not it tastes bad. To me and my mom, and others with the gene, it tastes like soap. I only don’t notice with garlic or onion, so thankfully pico de gallo is still yummy.
to Sarah Jane's comment
Plus, they say brassicas will keep deer away b/c they won’t eat the bitter leaves.
to Lisa's comment
I grew up eating cooked chard – still love it. Also like it fresh in salads, on pizza, in quiche, bulgar wheat stir fry… I have been growing Russian Red kale a few years now & I use it the same way. Mine doesn’t grow through the summer, but I will be planting it soon for the fall and winter. I planted lacinato kale too late this spring. one has managed to survive under the cover the zucchini has, but it hasn’t grown much. I am hoping it will hang on and kick in to high gear in a few months.
to Sincerely, Emily's comment
Had this salad recently. I hope that is ok to post here. Enjoy!
Mediterranean Kale Salad
2 small bunches kale(long stemmed curly)
2 T evoo, 2 T fresh lemon or lime juice
1/2 tsp salt, 1 red bell pepper
1/4 C walnuts or pine nuts
1/4 C olives of choice
cucumber, avocado
Stack 2 of kale leaves w/the stem end facing you.
Fold in half length wise and roll tightly like a cigar.
Slice crosswise into thin strips. Repeat w/the remaining leaves.
Chop the strips crosswise a few times, so they aren’t too long.
Place in a mixing bowl along with the evoo juice and salt. Massage well with your hands working the dressing into the kale (tough part’s getting it off your fingers). Add remaining ingredients and mix.
Serve at room temp.
to Sincerely, Emily's comment
Thanks so much for this recipe. Walnuts sound like a great addition to kale!
to Susy's comment
Susie I am so sorry you do not care for kale..I love it.. and all cooked greens. I found out I really liked them when I was dating my husband 30 years ago. His mom cooked supper for us a lot, and I was not about to tell her I did not like something she cooked! However…I was “just stuffed”, and “could not possibly eat another bite” the night she had liver and onions…so I am impressed that you continue to eat greens even if you don’t like them!
to Tammey's comment
I do love love love liver & onions – one of my favorite meals since I was a kid!
to Susy's comment
Gosh, i couldn’t disagree more….. i could eat nothing but kale in the winter! I LOVE LOVE kale. Kale chips. Sauteed kale. Pesto kale. Kale spaghetti. Kale quiche. Even my dog loves kale! You can’t beat something full of that much calcium and other goodness, and i love that it holds its texture so much better than chard or spinach. Try some kale chips slathered in olive oil and your favorite spices….. you might be won over ;)
to Miranda's comment
I really like to make kale (or other greens) by sauteeing for just a minute or two in olive oil with some garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt. Maybe a splash of white wine vinegar at the end. I agree that the texture leaves something to be desired but I always eat it with fresh bread and a cold bean salad (my favorite is white beans with garlic scapes and scallions, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt & pepper – you can make it days ahead). Something about the hot kale, cold beans and squishy bread is just right.
to sarah's comment
I like kale cut off the big stem in the middle and then chopped up, on a baking sheet lay over in a thick layer on a mild fish (tilapia works great). Drizzle with olive oil sprinkle with capers or chopped kalamata olives and diced caned tomatoes. top with sea salt and fresh grated parm and then cover with foil. Bake in the oven until fish is done. VERY good even my little kids love it and its super healthy!!
to Aubrey's comment
Grew kale for the first time this year. I really enjoyed it in a Colcannon Recipe I found on Simply Recipes.com. I chose to add a little sauteed garlic to the recipe. It was fabulous!
to Jeannette's comment
What I love about kale is that you can slice it somewhat finely (maybe 1/4″ strips) mix it with some lemon juice, oil, and some seasonings, and it’s good for salad for a few days. I’m hoping that it turns up in my CSA share eventually, and plan to grow it in my garden next year.
to Karla's comment