Kale
is ‘in’
Food trendiness is never
predictable. And it is somewhat amusing to find celebrity chefs, who had spent
their time with foams and spun sugar creations suddenly discovering fall greens,
especially kale, as the next ‘in’ thing for the table. You can find kale
featured in recipes from juice to salads to soups and side dishes. Those of us who live in northern climes
suddenly find our old recipes to be ‘au currant’ simply because of one of their
main ingredients.
So, I find myself looking with new interest at my all but empty fall
garden with only kale and collards still standing. Our recent cold nights have
finally given them new sweetness and since they are the few local greens at this
time of year, they provide a good addition to any menu. After all, they are
members of the crucifer or cabbage family and not only taste good, but are a
great and healthy source of lots of vitamins, phytochemicals and fiber.
This year’s crop in my garden seemed to get a slow start, hampered by
uneven summer weather and a nasty crop of thrips that seemed to put holes in
every leafy vegetable in the garden from sorrel to chard to collards. However,
my green curled Winterbor F1 (Johnny’s seeds, Maine) finally took off in
September and now the tall plants look like a beautiful frost rimmed curly
bouquets on these cold mornings. The bottom leaves may be tough, but the large
top harvested provides kale for a variety of uses.
I must confess of not having been enthralled by the prospect of massaging
olive oil and lemon juice for a half an hour into raw kale for purposes of
making a salad. Roast kale can be delicious, but the curly leaf variety is a
bit tricky to control for the right texture.
However, one of the simplest ways to serve kale as a tasty side dish to
many meats is a sauté followed by brief steaming with a decidedly oriental
flavor.
Sautèed kale with
garlic and pine nuts
Wash 1-2 bunches of kale, remove stems and ribs. Roll leaves tightly and
cut crosswise in less than ½ inch wide ribbons. In a small pan toast separately
2 Tblsp. sesame seeds and ¼ cup pine nuts. Heat 2 Tblsp. vegetable oil in a wok
or a large pan to shimmer, then stir in 2 large cloves chopped garlic, the kale
ribbons and 1 tsp. grated fresh ginger (optional). Keep cooking on moderately
high heat with stirring until the kale is wilted. Stir in ½ cup chicken or
vegetable broth, 2 tsp. toasted sesame oil and 1 Tblsp. soy sauce. Cover
tightly and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove cover and stir in pine nuts and
sesame seeds. Cook for another minute or two until the liquid is absorbed.
Serve warm.
Kale is milder than cabbage and goes well in combinations with beans or
lentils in soups. My hearty old fashioned white bean and kale soup is sure to
please your family or a crowd.
White bean and kale
soup
Soak 2 cups of white dry cannellini or navy beans in cold water
overnight. Sautè 2 chopped onions in 2 Tblsp. olive oil for 5 min., stir in 4
finely chopped garlic cloves, 4 cups chicken broth, one 14 oz can chopped
tomatoes with juice, 4 cups water, 1 bay leaf, ½ tsp. dried rosemary, 1
Parmiggiano-Regano 3 inch piece of rind (optional), 1 tsp. salt, and ½ tsp.
pepper.. Bring to boil and simmer uncovered until beans are tender about 45
minutes. Stir occasionally and make sure that the vegetables are covered at all
times with liquid by adding more broth or water as needed. Add 6 large carrots
cut in half and sliced in ½ inch pieces. Continue cooking for 5 minutes, then
stir in 1 lb, kale, stemmed, deveined and coarsely chopped and 1 lb. smoked
sausage sliced ¼ inch. Cook for an additional 15 minutes. Adjust salt and
pepper and volume with additional liquid. Stir in 1 Tblsp. balsamic vinegar and
serve or reheat the following day for an improved flavor.
With crusty bread and a salad this makes an excellent and tasty one dish
meal for any day of the week, even if you are not concerned about being trendy.
(I. Winicov Harrington lives in
Waldoboro and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00
a Day: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)
