Jan 27, 2010
Bossy’s Favorite Things
Kale.
Some people tolerate kale and some people consume kale, but Bossy seeks Kale out. There’s a difference.
Growing up, Bossy’s mom would prepare kale in a soul food way: cooked in a pot of water with a little fat back, and later drained and doused with vinegar and a dollop of butter which melts across the leafy surface. This was then served with the rings of a good raw onion.
But as an adult, Bossy can’t get enough of kale in soups. All kinds of soups. It’s a Kale soup party in Bossy’s kitchen! And it’s very good for you. Lots of blah calcium blah antioxidant blah blah potassium.
The Kale above is some sort of variety Bossy now forgets, but Bossy’s son probably knows since he used to work as a cashier in the local food co-op and will forever more know the most obscure produce and their corresponding bar code.
Mmmm. Greens. Kale is best in soup with white beans or black eyed peas and Andouille. And don’t forget the smoked hock or shank! Collards and chard on the other hand, must be soul food style with vinegar and bacon grease.
I thought I was the only one who sought out kale! I usually roast it since that’s the only way my kids will eat it. Try this: cut out stems, slather big leaves with olive oil and salt, place on pan at 350 for 5-7 mins (keep an eye on it because it will burn quickly), flip over (the kale, not yourself) for another 3-5 mins. until it’s slightly brown. It tastes like veggie chips. Soooooo good.
A little story about kale . . . my dad was vegetarian for many years and ate a LOT of kale. So my mom bought a lot of it at the store, where sometimes the cashiers didn’t even know what it was and had to ask. There was one girl who knew what it was though. She scanned the kale, meanwhile making a remark about how we must have an iguana at home. My mom was very confused, until she discovered that the girl had some customers who bought the kale for their iguanas and so she thought that only iguanas ate kale. And then my mom said no, it’s for my husband the iguana.
It was funnier at the time.
I’d love to know how to cook Kale for human consumption. I am guilty of buying it only for our pet bearded dragon.
I have not tried kale chips yet, but many of my friends LURV them. I too enjoy a good soup with kale in it. An acceptable substitute is swiss chard in a soup.
Looks like dinosaur kale to me.
Best Evah Kale Recipe – we call it guacamole salad, and eat it on a hot summer day
1 bunch kale
2 ripe avocadoes
1 good tomato, diced
juice of 1 lime
olive oil
kosher salt
Wash the kale and cut the stems out. Take the leaves and cut them into really thin ribbons – about 1/4″. Put in a very large bowl. Cut open the avocadoes, remove the pits, and dump the flesh into the bowl. Add about a tablespoon each of lime juice and olive oil, and a teaspoon of salt. WITH YOUR HANDS, mush it all together. The enzymes in the oil, juice, and avocado will break down the kale so it’s not tough. When it’s good and mixed, gently fold in the tomatoes, taste, and adjust seasoning if desired. Enjoy!
The Daytons eat kale in everything, too, because I am the crazy kale fan in our house.
The other best kale recipe is this, and it has a name, but the name is not as important as eating the soup:
Saute at least 10 cloves of minced garlic in more olive oil than is actually necessary. Add at least a pound of truly excellent Polish sausage pieces or chorizo, brown until golden and gorgeous. Add a few pounds of thinly sliced Yukon Golds, cover with broth, and simmer merrily until potatoes are soft but not falling apart. Finally, add finely chopped kale, and when the kale is the brightest shade of itself, the soup is complete.
My Portuguese uncle called it caldine…translated to Green Soup.
First introduced to kale this past October…have found it to be one of my favoriate dishes!
Having been raised on good Southern cooking, I’m familiar with greens of all varieties. Kale is absolutely my favorite of the bunch, though. These days I use olive oil rather than fatback, but I like your mom’s approach. Nom nom nom.
I’ve never tried kale, but I’ve been hearing a lot of talk about it recently. I’m going to add it to my try list.
I’m guessing dinosaur kale. (I used to be asst. cashier manager/day manager of a natural foods store, so, I’m all like Bossy’s son in that way. Plus I am constantly on the lookout for the 9 in front of the PLU code for vegetables … that means it’s organic. Which Bossy probably knows because of Bossy’s son.)
The kale chips are a huge hit with my whole family, including the 2 & 5 year old.
@Mel: I was also raised on southern cooking (Alabama), but NEVER had kale until I tasted the garnish on my plate at a restaurant. The server (and his manager) were most upset that I had eaten it, saying it was meant only as a garnish and hadn’t been washed (luckily, I didn’t die from some parasitic disease). I liked the taste and have been seeking it out ever since. It’s very expensive here. Hint that works: Freeze the greens before cooking. Makes the stems come out very easily, quicker cooking and more tender!
Dinosaur kale! Love it.
Something in the back neurons of my brain is screaming “94620″ but that could be wrong.
Is is also called “lacinto kale”? I have been eating it almost daily lately. In fact, lunch today will be Moroccan Spiced Spaghetti Squash with Chickpeas and Sauteed Kale. The family’s favorite quick soup is: chicken stock, chickpeas, diced tomatoes, garlic, kale and chorico (the Spanish or Portugese kind, as opposed to the Mexican “chorizo”). Serve w/ crusty bread topped with a spread (make in the food processor) of cream cheese, crystalized ginger, walnuts and a bit of honey. Great flavor companions.
Connie, thanks for the tip on kale prep. I get it on occasion but always feel like I’m doing homework when I’m eating it.
I am completely addicted to kale. I like mine roasted. Some people call them kale chips. Tear the leaves off the stalks, Rub a small amount of olive onto the leaves with your hands and add a touch of kosher or sea salt.
Roast HOT and check CONSTANTLY or you’ll have kale coal.
Yum.
warm up some olive oil in a shallow pan. Place washed and chopped kale to the pan until it is limp, then add a dash of balsamic vinegar and cook until tender. Salt and pepper!
You can saute the same way but instead of vinegar, do a little orange juice and then when almost done, add some mandarin oranges and a little salt.
Audubon Ron uses kale in a Jewish/Italian dish called Hamin.
First, pull kale apart like Rachael Ray does it, oh baby. Boil in water for about 20 minutes, drain all the vitamin and nutrients into the sink with the remaining green water. Let kale sit in a colander. Pull out a pound of flesh, usually Italian sausage, country style ribs and maybe chicken or brisket, if it’s handy. I never have handy brisket anywhere near my house. Pour a glass of wine, white wine. Drink white wine, drink some more white wine, get on the phone, call a friend, pour more white wine, turn on TV for background noise, place head on pillow on couch for just a minute. Wake up three hours later, oh shit, it’s 6:30 p.m. Get on phone. Order a pizza.
Agree with others; that’s totally dinosaur kale. My favorite way to eat it chopped (stems cut out) and sauteed on high heat with garlic and olive oil, and maybe some red pepper flakes if I’m feeling fancy. Takes maybe four minutes.
My husband makes a mean kale salad for the nights we have our Mediterranean extravaganza. Although I’m not sure kale is actually considered Mediterranean, in our house, it is.
Maybe when you come over and stay with us, I can talk him into making the scrumptious kale salad for you.
Just found the joy of kale a year ago. The kids have yet to be on board though…. Think I could toss the roasted ones in a bowl and they’d bite?
Love this recipe on a cold day!
http://www.canadianliving.com/food/kale_and_chickpea_soup.php
Caldo Verde
Can this be right? 24 comments, 20 different recipes? I’ve done Swiss Chard the saute way mentioned, but never tried Kale. Didn’t expect to come to Bossy’s house to get recipes, but these all sound like fun. I kind of already have Audobon Ron’s recipe — not for kale, but pretty much the same for anything!
Audubon Ron’s recipe ROCKS! But now I will also join the annointed ones and try Kale .. is it at TJ’s? Oh and I will also look for Bossy’s favorite cream. Maybe not discontinued in Califorinia nd Bossy can load up her car on the Bossy Book no book Road Trip or Bossy BnBRT.
maybe it should have been annointed … rather enlightened… yeah that’s it enlightened!
oh myyyyyyyyyyyyyy NOT Annointed rather enlightened. ah yiyiyiyiyi
my version of kale chips (cutting them up into triscuit sized pieces, laying them out on a baking pan, spray on olive oil -nonstick spray of pure oil, not chemicals, sprinkle sea salt, bake 350 for ten min until slightly crispy) is always a huge hit with guests, and not to mention isn’t even bad (in an airtight container) the next day. LOVE this snack. Like popcorn.
It is called Cavolo Nero, and is a tuscan cabbage variety.
http://www.discoverkale.co.uk/what_is_cavolo_nero.html
I love love love love love love this stuff. We get an organic seasonal veggie box delivered weekly from a local farm here in the UK, and I LOVE winter kale season. A bag of it lasts 5 minutes in our house! It is always the thing that gets cooked first, and I will steal it off my husband’s plate if he doesn’t eat it fast enough (I have no shame!)
My favourite recipe is also the simplest.
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 – 2 tbsp olive oil
kale – cut into ribbons
lemon juice
chili flakes
sundried tomatoes
Heat the olive oil, fry the garlic (not too long), add the chili flakes for a minute, then put in the kale (suggest you put the stalky bits in first then follow with the leafier bits). Fry til softening. Add the sundried tomatoes (again cut into ribbons). Add lemon juice to taste (I like a lot).
Serve with mashed or roast potatoes (particularly sweet potato wedges!), salmon or grilled steak.
Drool.
who knew kale was the secret lover of bossy’s council?
I am new to Kale. I take this as a sign to pursue it with more tenacity.
I would have thought kale only grows and is served in Germany but apparently, I was wrong. This is how people here enjoy kale a.k.a. Grünkohl – with smoked sauage and fried potatoes, some mustard added:
http://www.marions-kochbuch.com/recipe/0175.htm
(I didn’t particularly enjoy it before I tried it with some extra mustard, really goes great with the kale.)
Truly impressed, humbled, amazed that you ate kale as a child.