What I did with all that kale

At the market a few months ago we bought some kale. Our family loves the stuff. The checker at the register held it up and asked, "what's this?" I explained it was kale, sort of like spinach or, I dared say, collards. (No, she didn't know collard greens either.)

Now that the season has started, our CSA, Wolf Pine Farm, gives us healthy helpings of kale most weeks, especially towards the end of the season when the cold starts in. There's a trade table where people put items they don't want and pick up something they do. We tend to load up on all the "left" kale and let people have our mixed salad greens or tomatoes (we grow our own tomatoes so they're not as precious).

Why do I bring up our love of kale? (See our bumper sticker in this picture -- our only bumper sticker until our recently added Obama '08.) Wanting people to eat more kale goes beyond health or taste issues. Kale is a hardy, inexpensive, delightful dark leafy green vegetable too many people don't appreciate. Either they've never tried it (ignorance) or they haven't had it cooked well (inexperience).

Ignorance and inexperience are at the root of most of our social problems today. When I say "our," I mean everyone and everywhere. And when I say "today," I mean always. Ignorance and inexperience lead to fear; fear leads to all kinds of irrational and dangerous attitudes and behaviors.

Examine any human conflict and you'll find fear. Fear of others, fear of losing what's ours, fear that different might be better, fear that seeps into just about every facet of human consciousness. Why not try diplomacy? We're afraid to appear weak/we're afraid it will seem we support them/we're afraid they'll blow us up. Why not build affordable housing? We're afraid of crime/we're afraid poor people equals irresponsible neighbors/we're afraid our homes will lose value.

Get past ignorance and inexperience and it's easier to find peace.

Let's start somewhere simple. Why not try some kale? Here. I'll tell you what I do with all that kale we get (from Wolf Pine Farm and from our own gardens).

First, when I have a batch of kale, I don't assume I'll use it in time. I know me and I'll forget it's there. And, while one of the beautiful qualities of kale is it lasts easily up to a week bagged in the refrigerator, it's really best to eat (or freeze) vegetables immediately so they don't lose too many nutrients. So, as quickly as I can, I do a "quick boil" of these luscious greens.

I learned the easy care and treatment for all our leafy greens in my all-time favorite cookbook, Feeding the Whole Family, by Cynthia Lair. I will generally describe what I do based on my fuzzy memory. If you'd rather have precise directions, check out this web page (but please ignore step 4, no need to steam after you've just boiled!).

I fill a pot with water. A big pot is good. A little pinch of salt (I like kosher for the grab-ability). As the water heats up, trim the stems off your kale. I find the easiest way is to fold the leaves in half so the stem becomes sort of a seam on the back that's easy to chop off, leaving a long v-shaped notch in the middle of the kale leaf.

I usually prep all the kale I've got and do several batches. Even the firmest greens shrink a bunch when boiled, so you'll be able to fit quite a bit in the pot. By quite a bit I mean something like... 4-8 cups of loosely packed raw kale leaves (depending on how curly the leaves are, how much volume they'll take up).

The water comes to a boil. Put the kale in the water, tuck it in nicely so it's all covered. Set the timer for 3 minutes (or remember to check back, though I *never* remember without the timer). Feel free to poke at it every once in a while.

It will come back to a boil. Just let it go. After about 3 minutes, start picking out pieces now and again and tasting them. They should be bright green and tasty. Kind of nutty. A little spinach-y. Texture a bit like the seaweed that floats in typical miso soups. Mmmm. Here's a picture of some from my last batch:

I think the color in this picture doesn't do it justice. It was a brighter green in real life.

Now here's a tip I like. Instead of dumping the whole thing into a colander, use a slotted spoon (I used one meant for a wok) to dish out the kale into the strainer. You'll be able to reuse the water for more greens. Or, at the very least, you can water some plants with it when it cools for a very healthy plant treat.

Immediately dunk your kale in cold water (using actual ice cubes with the water is a good idea if you're in the mood) will stop the cooking process and keep the kale tender and lovely. Once it's fully cooled, squeeze it out and chop it into bite sized pieces. Grab handfuls of the cold, wet kale and stuff it into freezer containers (we use plastic bags) in your family's serving size portions.

Throughout the year you'll be able to grab a batch of the frozen pre-cooked kale and saute or braise it with... garlic and olive oil, soy sauce and sesame oil, balsamic vinegar and olive oil and garlic, sesame oil and sesame seeds, and I'm sure the list goes on.

I hope you try it out if you haven't before. The bang for your buck you'll get as far as nutritional value is immense. Knowing you're doing your part -- assuming you bought your greens locally -- to support sustainable farming will also feed your soul. When we eat our kale we sometimes pause to consider the larger idea of education (defeating ignorance and inexperience), and how that does add flavor! If you can experience just an ounce of the umph we feel when we enjoy our kale (including our five year old whose favorite food for her young life has frequently been cooked greens!), the world will indeed be a better place.




Oh, and if you're wondering if kale is really all that healthy? Please please please check this out: http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2462/2