Poor Kale

Ah, poor unappreciated kale! Like many dark leafy greens, its health benefits are fairly well known, but it is often thought to be difficult to prepare or not very tasty. Some do find kale to be a bit bitter or too chewy, but with proper preparation, it can be delicious and makes an easy nutrient-rich addition to a meal.

Kale is a cruciferous vegetable, part of the Brassicaceae family of vegetables, like cauliflower and broccoli. Kale is actually a form of cabbage, more closely related to wild cabbage than to most domesticated forms. Kale is very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C (one cup has the same amount as an orange), lutein, and some calcium. It doesn't contain oxalic acid, which prevents the body from absorbing calcium, unlike chard and spinach. It also contains sulforaphane, a chemical with anti-cancer properties. This is most accessible when the kale is chopped or minced; boiling will decrease the amount of sulforaphane, but other cooking methods do not result in significant loss. Researchers have identified over 45 different flavonoids in kale, including kaempferol and quercetin, with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits.

Kale is a versatile vegetable, and it has been popular around the world: in China, Taiwan, and Vietnam, it is often stir-fried with beef; in the Netherlands, Ireland, and Germany, it is used in traditional dishes that often also use potatoes and sausages; in Portugal, it is part of a traditional soup; in East Africa, it is used in stew; and in Japan, kale juice is a popular dietary supplement. In Scotland, if someone is too ill to eat, that person is "off one's kail".

Kale will keep slightly better than other greens, such as spinach, but its flavour will get stronger as it sits around. To get the longest shelf life out of your kale, place unwashed kale in a plastic bag and keep it in the vegetable crisper of your refrigerator. It should last up to a week this way. If you prefer to freeze it, wash and dry the kale well, then mince or chop it. Seal in a plastic bag, pressing out as much of the air as possible. Minced, frozen kale can be used just like raw kale since it thaws almost instantly. Some people find that kale tastes sweeter after it has been frozen.

When you are ready to use it, swish the kale in a bowl of cold water to remove any grit and dirt. Change the water a few times for very dirty leaves. Trim or break off any tough stems. If you are using the kale right away, you won't have to dry it, as the residual water will help them wilt as they cook. Some people prefer to cut any thick ribs out of the center of the leaves, but I prefer to just chop those parts up and use them too for texture and to reduce waste. A Green Earth Organics member and I were commiserating about how this wonderful vegetable is often left out when people are choosing their bin contents, so she shared with me her easy preparation method:  

We like to keep it pretty simple and just warm some ghee or EVOO [extra virgin olive oil] in the pan, throw in some garlic for a minute, then add the chopped kale and toss for a few minutes until it softens and greens. Then at the end I add some balsamic vinegar for the last minute or so and it's done. It also works well to add mushrooms. - Taryn in Vancouver.

This sort of keep-it-simple method makes kale easy to use as a side dish for a wide variety of meals and makes it an ideal item to have on hand for quickly assembling a meal. Green Earth Organics does have a few kale recipes on hand, ranging from fairly complex dishes like a chickpea and kale curry with homemade paneer to the very simple and easy like kale chips. You can also incorporate minced kale into recipes you already have, such as pasta sauces, soups, and stews. Add cooked minced kale to wraps and scrambled eggs and raw minced kale to salads and fruit smoothies. Kale can also be used in many collard green recipes.

If you want to develop your own kale recipes, kale goes well with aged hard cheeses, smokey flavours (including smoked cheddar and smoked tofu), corn and polenta, curry, lemon, garlic, onion, vinegar, and hot sauce. Non-vegetarians might want to explore combining it with ham, bacon, or smoked turkey.

If you have another favourite way of getting this healthy green into your diet, please let us know!