SPRING FOR KALE

 

Spring for Kale

           The popularity of kale has grown by leaps and bounds in the last five to ten years. Mostly touted for its health benefits it also has the talent of adding color and even texture to many dishes. Spring in Maine tends to come slowly and trying to lighten up our meals on the table can be a challenge, but a large bunch of kale from the grocery can sometimes do the trick.

          Many of us have discovered kale relatively recently, but it was grown in the Middle Ages as food for both humans and livestock. Kale is an amazingly colorful vegetable of the cabbage family ranging from shades of green to purple with most common varieties being curly. My favorite is the Toscano variety with deep flavor and long flat leaves that make it easy to wash and de-rib for use.  The low-calorie count of kale, only 33 calories for a cup of raw kale, belies its abundance in vitamins and minerals. Fiber makes it more substantive than spinach or even Swiss chard for many uses. 

                                                 Vegetable soup with kale

          In a large pot sauté in 1 tblsp. olive oil one large onion and 1 stalk of celery, chopped in medium sized pieces for 5 minutes. Add 4 cups chicken broth, a bay leaf, 1 tsp. thyme, 7 cloves and bring to boil.

Add vegetables chopped in ½ to ¾ inch pieces: 1 large carrot, 1 parsnip, and 1 medium potato.  Turn heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes, then stir in 1 small, chopped zucchini, 3-4 Tuscan kale leaves (de-ribbed and torn in pieces), ¾ cups frozen peas, ¼ cup chopped parsley, adjust volume to desired consistency with water and continue cooking for an additional 15 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and 2 tblsp. white wine vinegar. Serve hot with crusty bread.

Kale makes a wonderful vegetable side dish for most meats or fish and is easy and quick to prepare. You only need a few ingredients and a large pan with a tight-fitting lid since kale will shrink considerably in the cooking process.

          Kale with shallots and dried cranberries

De-rib one or two bunches of Tuscan or other type of kale, tear in large pieces, wash and drain. Thinly slice 2 shallots and finely chop 2 cloves garlic.

In a large pan heat 2 tblsp. olive oil to hot and add kale, tossing in a few handfuls at a time. Continue adding and tossing for 3 minutes, together with the shallots and garlic, until all the kale fits in the pan. Sprinkle with ½ tsp. salt, some red pepper flakes and turn down the heat.

Add ½ cup dried cranberries, 2/3 cup chicken broth, juice of 1 lemon, cover and allow to steam on low heat for 12 minutes.  Uncover, briefly turn up the heat to cook and remove any extra liquid remaining. Serve hot as a vegetable side dish.

This kale dish lends itself well as a briefly heated leftover of can shine on its own  for breakfast or lunch with an egg and some sausage or bacon.

                                       Egg and bacon in kale nests

If you have a couple of small pans, this dish can be served directly in pan.

Crisp fry a slice of thick bacon for each serving and drain on paper towels. Discard the fat. Spread ¾ cup or more of the cooked kale from the recipe with ‘shallots and cranberries’ in a small pan with a couple of tblsp. water, cover and heat. When the kale is very hot, push the kale away from the center of the pan to make a nest and drop a cracked egg in it. Cover and continue to heat on moderate heat until the egg is set. The kale may brown in spots, giving it a deeper flavor. Remove the lid, sprinkle with lemon salt and add the broken bacon pieces. Enjoy with toast or an English muffin.

          Amazing, how such healthy food can taste wonderful and enhance the eye appeal of a meal!

 (I. Winicov Harrington lives in coastal Maine 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)