National Kale Day 2024

[Cornelius_Gotchberg]

The 1st Wednesday in October lauds this Super Food, a staple in Jardín del Gotch.

Tell everyone how yer gettin' yer Kale Freak on.

The Gotch

[worth1]

Not gonna happen.

[karstopography]

Kale will be planted later in October. Last year, I planted curly kale. This year, I’m going back to tuscan kale. I like the texture and flavor better with the tuscan type. Kale will grow all fall, winter and spring here. Six plants is all I need to keep us in sufficient kale. I had ten plants last year.

Soups, potato, sausage and kale soup or beans, sausage and kale soup, then massaged kale salad are favorites applications for kale with kale chips being a distant third. I don’t like kale very much as a stewed green on its own. Collards with bacon and onion are way better. Kale is perfect for some of these soups, though.

I tried deep frying kale leaves and that was a literal disaster on the driveway. More exciting than fireworks and twice as messy. I wouldn’t recommend deep frying kale leaves or if you do, make sure every speck of water is off the leaves.

[Cornelius_Gotchberg]

Yer gonna LUV Tuscan/Dinosaur/Lacinato Kale.

Glass half empty?

Rabbits, et al, do too.

The Gotch

[karstopography]

Kale is a polarizing vegetable. People seem to either love it or hate it. I can’t think of any of the brassicas I don’t like, kale included. Curly kale isn’t bad, I just like the tuscan/Dinosaur/Lacinato type better. I’ve also grown some of the others. Russian red kale is an aphid magnet hereabouts. Purple kale never really thrived. Tuscan is a fire and forget type. One shot, one kill. Deadly, bulletproof, no worries, keep on keeping on. Curly kale thrived as well, pretty to look at. Grow vegetables that we like to eat and aren’t garden divas, tuscan kale checks both boxes.

[Tormahto]

When does LeeRoy get his national day?

[Tormahto]

Kale will be planted later in October. Last year, I planted curly kale. This year, I’m going back to tuscan kale. I like the texture and flavor better with the tuscan type. Kale will grow all fall, winter and spring here. Six plants is all I need to keep us in sufficient kale. I had ten plants last year.

Soups, potato, sausage and kale soup or beans, sausage and kale soup, then massaged kale salad are favorites applications for kale with kale chips being a distant third. I don’t like kale very much as a stewed green on its own. Collards with bacon and onion are way better. Kale is perfect for some of these soups, though.

I tried deep frying kale leaves and that was a literal disaster on the driveway. More exciting than fireworks and twice as messy. I wouldn’t recommend deep frying kale leaves or if you do, make sure every speck of water is off the leaves.

I've seen deep fried kale chips.

[Cornelius_Gotchberg]

I've seen deep fried kale chips.

images.png

The Gotch

[worth1]

The only kale I tried was as tough as a boot and flavorless.

[ddsack]

I overdosed on oven roasted kale chips a few years ago, so won't make them again. A little kale mixed in tossed salads is ok, as long as it's not the main component. Very nice in soups, especially Italian style with tomatoes. I am all for kale used as an accent flavor in moderation, but not as a stand alone dish.

[rxkeith]

small leaves, i will add to salads.
larger leaves, will have the center stem removed, and torn to smaller
pieces, and steamed or cooked in water and eaten as a side dish or frozen
and added to soups. a fresh leaf or two or three will also be added to soup.
kale with a little olive oil, and splash of vinegar is good.
i have green russian, and red russian kale come up each year after letting
them go to seed once in awhile, so i never have to start them from seed.
lacinato has been grown, but isn't as cold hardy as the russians. also in the
garden are mixed brassicas that are crosses of collards, kale, and broccoli.


keith

[worth1]

The last thing I need is something else to promote kidney stones.
I haven't had a cup of coffee since the great labor day kidney stone infection hospital event.

[Cornelius_Gotchberg]

Kale on pizza is Da Bomb!

thumbnail_IMG_3372.jpg

The Gotch

[Seven Bends]

I haven't grown kale in a few years because the last few times I grew it, the plants became covered with white flies and had to be pulled before I really got a chance to eat much of it. They also get harlequin bugs if I leave them in the ground too long in spring. I keep meaning to try again with some row cover to keep out the bugs, but it hasn't happened yet.

Mostly I just tear up some kale in salads or in soups. I like it in a no-recipe potato vegetable soup I make that's basically just bacon or side meat, onion, potato, chicken broth, corn, string beans, lima beans, cabbage or kale, zucchini/summer squash, whatever is on hand. Seasoned with poultry seasoning, salt & pepper. No milk/cream. Saute pork & onion, add potatoes & broth and cook awhile until the potatoes are beginning to soften, then add other veggies and simmer a good while until everything is tender.

I also like this old Moosewood Cookbook recipe for "Caribbean Stew" (note that the current version of this dish on the internet is not the same):

Caribbean Stew
1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp veg oil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1 minced fresh chili (seeds removed)
1 large sweet potato, chunked (about 2 cups)
2 cups water or veggie stock
2 small zucchini, cut into medium chunks (about 2 cups)
1 1/2 cups undrained canned tomatoes, chopped/diced
4 cups loosely packed shredded kale (I use 2 cups at most, maybe less)
1 Tbsp fresh lemon or lime juice (I use lime)
2-4 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
Salt to taste

Sprinkle onions with salt. In a covered soup pot, sauté the onions in the oil for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add thyme, allspice, and chili and continue to cook for another 1-2 mins. Add sweet potatoes and water/stock and simmer covered for about 5 minutes. Add zucchini and tomatoes with juice and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until veggies are just tender. Add kale and cook another 5-10 mins. Add lemon or lime juice, cilantro, & salt to taste.

[Cornelius_Gotchberg]

The Jardín del Gotch Kale Patch: Prizm middle/lower left, middle row Lacinato/Dinosaur/Tuscan, top right Darkibor.

thumbnail_IMG_3382.jpg

Rear view: Two (2) Red Russkie plants that have seen their better days:

thumbnail_IMG_3383.jpg

We put it in ding nigh everything; soups, chilis, stews, salads (EXCELLENT in Mac & Spud salads), pizza, casseroles, smashed spuds, dressing/stuffing, etc., etc., etc.

We anticipate a late 1st freeze, so we expect to be harvesting all the way up-n-through Thanksgiving...maybe even Christmas.

The Gotch

[Cornelius_Gotchberg]

When does LeeRoy get his national day?

Say what?

The Gotch

[karstopography]

Frost improves kale, this has been my experience with this vegetable.

[Cornelius_Gotchberg]

Frost improves kale, this has been my experience with this vegetable.

¡CorrectoMundo! Frost sharpens the taste-n-sweetness!

The Gotch

[bower]

I love the look of Lacinato the best, those are great plants and they weather our climate pretty well.
OTOH I'm not a huge fan of the taste or the tough texture of any kales. I can enjoy them occasionally - the massaged salad is super welcome in the off season when your other greens are long since kaput.
In our indoor winter greens, I've been growing out a bee cross between Red Russian Kale and a Napa cabbage type. Very fast growing, with crispy stalks and tender cabbagey leaves, the flavor is variable but goes straight to kale taste when exposed to any kind of stress. I don't mind the taste and really like the texture improvement and all purpose addition to soups, stews, stirfries, but it was panned as a flavor by a majority of non-kale-lovers in the extended family and friend circle. Just for me and Mom then
I just cleaned a few seeds of last winter's batch today. Should start some soon.

[Tormahto]

When does LeeRoy get his national day?

Say what?

The Gotch

LeeRoy Yarbrough.