kindred kale
food of the month for kale
kale is one of those "why didn't i try it earlier" veggies. but don't worry, we'll give you plenty of reasons why you shouldn't put it off any longer.
quick facts on kale:
- kale is the grandmother of the whole cabbage family. it's a member of the brassica group which also includes broccoli, cauliflower & brussel sprouts
- until the end of the middle ages kale was one of the most commonly
consumed vegetables in europe!
- kale is still used frequently in traditional dishes in germany, the
netherlands, portugal, brazil, denmark, sweden and scotland
- kale is the hardiest most robust vegetable, it will tolerate nearly any
soil condition (provided the drainage is good), kale rarely suffers form
pests or diseases
- kale prefers cooler climates in fact it actually tastes sweeter after
it's been exposed to a frost!... making locally grown winter kale a hot comodity.
- plants sold as "ornamental cabbage" are actually a decorative kale, and they are in fact edible, but not as tasty as their more modest cousins - proving that you can't judge a kale by it's cover.
- some yummy varieties;
*dinosaur or Tuscan kale: old variety w/ almost black/ green leaves. has a nice mild flavour
*scotch or curly kale: has blue/green curly leaves (this is the kind meals
for mums likes to use;)
*siberian or russian kale- comes in both green and red varieties
- kale is highly nutritious w/ powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory
properties. It's high in Vit A, Vit C, Vit K, beta carotene, iron and
calcium
- and finally... did you know kale juice can be used to help heal stomach and duodenal ulcers?
want to give kale a try? kale is featured in our yummy salmon risotto dish, click here to check it out.
quite often what holds people back from trying new foods is not knowing what to do with it. here is a recipe for tasty garlic sauteed kale.
garlic sauteed kale
4 cups kale finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup water
salt and pepper to taste
1)saute garlic and olive oil over medium heat for about a minute
2)add kale and water, cover and let steam 9still over med heat)
remove when kale has turned bright green (about 2 minutes)
