What is Kale and Why Would I Want to Cook with It?
July 19th, 2008
This is something that many cooks of all levels of experience ask themselves, but if you do a little bit of investigation, you’ll find that there are plenty of things that you can do with this highly versatile leafy green. When you eat kale, you are in good company.
Kale was the most commonly eaten green vegetable in Europe until the seventeenth century. There is actually evidence that kale was cultivated and used in the fourth century BC in ancient Greece. It was a popular addition to the British Victory Gardens of World War II and people are rediscovering the versatility and delicious flavor of kale nowadays.
If you can go long periods without cooking, you have probably had the unpleasant experience of opening up your refrigerator and finding that your vegetables have turned brown and soggy. Luckily, kale freezes very well, and gets a sweeter taste after being exposed to a frost. If you have fresh kale, especially if you have the very tender shoots, add them into your salads. Some ideas for a kale salad include using roasted nuts, strong peppers, and peanuts, all to emphasize the strong, almost smoky taste.
If you want to know how to cook kale, the good new is that cooking kale is easy. It is also optional because kale tastes great raw too. If you like cooked vegetables, you might like to try a southern African recipe in which the kale is boiled with ground peanuts and coconut milk and served on top of flatbread or rice. This is a very good way to enjoy a tasty vegetarian treat, which is both delicious and healthy.
Kale is frequently combined with ground, sliced meat, such as ground beef, or spiced sausage, in European kale recipes. It can be mixed with broth, olive oil, and potatoes and served as an accompaniment to the meat. A milder vegetable might not be able to stand up to the strong meat flavor but kale does the job excellently because of its strong, rich flavor. Something else you can do with kale is to cut it up and add it to stir-fries, something that is popular all over the world.
If you want to stir fry kale, add some Japanese shiitake mushrooms to the mixture. Remove the stems of the kale and cut the leaves into large parts. Heat some oil in a wok or large frying pan and gently fry the garlic, mushrooms, and anything else you want to add. When these ingredients are tender, add the kale and season with pepper, soy sauce, and sesame oil and you will have a delicious, healthy meal within minutes, which is great served with some noodles or rice.
Kale is very underrated but you can see now that it can be used in many different recipes. So why not buy some kale the next time you shop for vegetables and discover its unique taste for yourself!
