Description: Kale, a hardy green, can survive severe frost. It grows in individual stalks and appears in the market in bunches. Kale is generally interchangeable with collard greens.
Selection: Choose dark green, crisp leaves and thinner stalks. After a frost kale is sweeter.
Storage and handling: Remove excess moisture and refrigerate in a loosely sealed plastic bag for up to 4 days. Before eating, wash thoroughly.
Preparation: Remove the tough stalk and central vein by hand or with a knife, and chop or tear leaves for cooking. Boil or steam 4-8 minutes. Sauté onions in a frying pan, then add raw chopped kale and a few tablespoons of water, cover and cook till kale is tender, about 8 minutes; uncover for a few minutes to allow water to evaporate. Microwave in a covered dish with a little water, about 4 minutes.
Serving suggestions: Slice young kale leaves and add to salads. Mature kale is not typically eaten raw. Sauté with corn and sweet red pepper (SIS, p. 194). Sprinkle cooked kale with vinegar; serve with polenta. Add raw kale to soups for the last few minutes of cooking time Mix leftovers with mashed potatoes to make the Irish dish colcannon.
Nutrients (when boiled): Vitamins A, C, K; cancer-preventing com-pounds sulforaphane, isothiocyanate and indoles; fiber. Also significant amount of Vitamin B6 and calcium.
Kale is great added to soups. I also like to saute it will bacon and onion.
http://www.worldcommunitycookbook.org/season/guide/kale.html
