Kale To The Chef: It Isn't Just For Garnish Any More

The following article will appear in the Winter 2007 issue of Edible Rhody magazine, in the Vegetable Matter column.

Poor kale. Of all the vegetables, this one must suffer from the worst inferiority complex. Having long been taken for granted as a supporting player for other foods, it is often placed ubiquitously on restaurant dinner plates only to be summarily ignored; or worse, found soggy and languishing on many a fruit platter, uneaten, then tossed away like yesterday’s newspaper. This is a shame. The silvery-gray, curly leaves surely do look great, but their beauty is definitely more than skin deep. Included on the “World’s Healthiest Foods” web site (www.whfoods.org), kale is nutrient-dense, readily available and tastes pretty darn good. It certainly merits a second look, especially for people who want to continue enjoying fresh local vegetables throughout the winter.

Kale certainly does thrive in cool weather, according to Kristin Lewis, who runs Rabbit’s Dance Farm, a CSA in Cumberland. She generally plants it twice per year, once in the spring for harvest through July and again in the early fall. “It’s definitely a cut-and-come-again,” Lewis says. “It's possible to grow it through the summer with enough water and fertility.” The second planting is reaped through December, as are some other winter herbs and vegetables: spinach, turnips, squash, parsnips, beets, sweet potatoes, cilantro and dill. A touch of frost actually improves the taste of kale and many winter vegetables, lending them a characteristic sweet flavor. CSAs such as Rabbit’s Dance are the ideal way to take advantage of local produce in the winter, when most of the farmer’s markets are usually closed.

Speaking of flavor, kale has an earthy, slightly bitter edge that some find appealing, but others might find appalling. “People need to come up with interesting ways to be creative with cooking kale,” says Lewis. One of her customers, whose kids think they don’t like greens, will eat it if it’s finely chopped, sauteed then cooked in an omelet. Another uses kale along with basil to make a delicious pesto, which can be frozen and used all winter. Collards, kale and other bitter greens can be braised—sauteed quickly with garlic and bacon (or another smoked meat), then cooked long and slow with a liquid, such as vegetable stock, until meltingly tender. It also pairs well with lemon, red pepper flakes, olive oil, potatoes and beans. Any way you cook it, though, wash it thoroughly to remove the dirt and grit that always cling to the leaves.

But if you need another good reason to eat kale, consider that it offers more nutritional value for fewer calories than just about any other food around. As a member of the Brassica family—which includes cabbage, collards and Brussels sprouts—the so-called cruciferous vegetables have recently gained widespread attention due to their health-promoting, sulfur-containing compounds. Several researchers point to the ability of these phytonutrients to lessen the occurrence of a wide variety of cancers, including breast and ovarian cancers. Exactly how they work is still a mystery, but it seems that they activate detoxifying enzymes in the liver that help neutralize potentially carcinogenic substances more quickly. Furthermore, kale is an excellent source of vitamins A and C, as well as a good source of fiber and minerals.

So by all means feel free to put some kale on your plate. Just remember that it truly deserves a starring role.

Rabbit’s Dance Farm
Cumberland, RI
www.rabbitsdancefarm.com
kristin@rabbitsdancefarm.com
(401) 658-2457