Monday, April 16, 2012

How Does Your Kale Grow?

Lacinato Kale

I haven't put in my garden yet.  Have you?  Usually at this point in the season I've at least prepared my beds and planted my sugar snap peas.

However, this year is different.  This year the neighbors are building a townhouse right next to my garden and random crap keeps getting thrown over the fence.  Last week they sprayed our apartment with cement (accidentally, of course), but I'm sure some of it got in the garden.  So I'm waiting. Waiting until when, I don't know, but in the meantime, I have a great kale patch!

Flat Leaf Green Kale

Last winter I planted Lacinato kale and flat leaf green kale, and both are still going strong!  We ate fresh kale all through last winter except for a brief period when it died off in the snow.  I cook it any which way, sautéed or braised as a side, blanched as a warm salad, as part of a pasta dish or thrown in soups.  You'll remember from a couple of posts ago, I even throw it in smoothies.

I've posted many recipes about cooking chard, and the wonderful thing about leafy greens is that you can effortlessly substitute one for another.  Look at any of my chard recipes and just increase the cooking time by a few minutes!

Here are some suggestions:

Green Smoothies
Coconut Chicken Soup
Kale and Lemon Salad
Poached Eggs Over Greens
Pasta Over Greens
Blanched Greens

Go forth and kale!

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