Kale is one of my favorite vegetables to grow and eat. It’s an easy plant that’s great for beginning gardeners, nutritious, versatile and tastes great. Kale is attractive in the garden. Leaves vary from long, flat and thin to wide and ruffled. Shades of red, green and purple add to its appearance.

Redbor

I start seeds in the house in mid-March to have transplants ready at the end of April. Seeds germinate quickly without bottom heat. Kale is cold hardy and can be planted four to six weeks before the average last frost date. I guesstimate when to plant them based on the weather. Heavy rain or spring snow in the first week they’ll be in the ground are cause to keep them in the house. Frost and cold spells give the leaves a sweeter taste. With an early start and hardiness that keeps it producing until the temperatures hit the teens overnight, it’s one of the longest growing plants in my garden.

Winterbor

In warmer areas or with protection such as a low tunnel, cold frame or hoop house, kale is a biennial. In spite of that, I start fresh seeds each to be sure I’ll have a good supply all year. I grow Red Russian, Winterbor, Redbor and Lacinato (also known as Nero di Tosca, Tuscan Black and Dinosaur). I start pinching seed stalks off the plants approximately six weeks into the second growing season. I’ve found that flavor starts to decline about midway through the second season and doesn’t improve. The plants’ goal is to make seed and they work hard at doing so. The flowers are pretty and edible.

Lacinato

If you have a fertile spot in the garden with full sun the plants will grow large and bushy. If you can’t spare that spot, kale will grow well in partial sun. It won’t be as productive but it will still do well. It’s not a fussy plant.

Flea beetles and cabbage worms are kale pests. I’ve found that curly/ruffled kales are less likely to be bothered by pests than flat varieties. I like the flat varieties as well as the ruffled so I grow it and deal with the pests by using an organic pesticide containing spinosad.

Kale is full of vitamins. One cup of chopped kale has 206% of the recommended daily amount of Vitamin A, 134% of a day’s Vitamin C, 684% of a day’s Vitamin K and contains thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamins B6 and B12 and folate. It’s also rich in calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper and manganese. A single cup of kale takes care of 5% of our daily fiber needs. All this goodness and only 33 calories per cup is hard to beat.

We were eating less kale in the summer so a lot of it was going to the chickens and turkeys. I add it to salad during the summer but one leaf in a salad for four people is enough. My favorite snack food is potato chips and they aren’t the healthiest choice I can make. I’ve replaced them with kale chips. They’re surprisingly delicious and it’s a great use for a lot of summer time kale.

Kale Chips

Pick one pound of kale as early in the day as possible for best flavor. Wash if necessary, dry completely. Moisture on the leaves will lengthen the amount of time the chips have to be baked.

Cut kale, including tender stems, into bite sized pieces. Coat the chips with three tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake at 350* for 12 to 18 minutes, checking every two minutes starting at the 12 minute mark. The chips are done when they are crisp. Serve hot or cool.

Kale and Potato Soup

1 onion, chopped
8 cups chicken or vegetable stock
8 medium potatoes, scrubbed and diced
6 cloves garlic
1 pound of kale, heavy stems removed, chopped into small pieces

salt and pepper to taste

To add a little zing, I add a half pound of Chorizo or Linguica after browing it in a little olive oil.

Sautee the chopped onion in a tablespoon of olive oil until it is soft but not caramelized. Using the same pot, add the chicken or vegetable stock and minced garlic. Heat to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender. Don’t cover the pot. You want some of the stock to evaporate during the cooking process, creating a more intense flavor.

If you want your soup to be creamy you can transfer it a little at a time to a blender or use an immersion (stick) blender to puree the soup. For a rustic, chunkier soup, remove the potatoes and garlic, mash by hand and stir back into the pot.

Stir the kale and Linguica or Chirizo in and simmer until the kale is tender, approximately five minutes. This soup is best served hot.

Related Posts

• Garlic Scapes (5)
• Harvest Moon & The Work to be Done (4)
• Recent Searches (4)

To the official site of Related Posts via Taxonomies.