July 14, 2008

Hail to Kale
by Cori Stanek

Well, Tom’s been spending late nights spraying weeds here at the homestead, and Adam’s raccoon trap remains empty but our garden is no worse-for-the-wear, in fact, its growing like gang-busters!

Tomatoes are booming in the summer heat, salad mixes are over taking beds, and the Kale has hit its prime—and it’s about time.

Kale is a member of the cabbage family and has a strong history in the northern latitudes of Europe. The vegetable made a valiant come-back during WWII as a part of the UK’s Dig for Victory campaign, at which time it become much more popular state-side as well.

Kale is high in iron, calcium, and vitamins A, K, and C. It also contains sulforaphane, a naturally occurring chemical that is thought to have anti-cancer properties—aside from being one of our favorites…

We are growing Siberian Kale, which fares well in cold growing climates. Kale is unique in that it prefers cold weather, often making it an ideal spring and late fall crop. It is said that Kale becomes sweeter under the pressure of frost, and some people can successfully grow it throughout the winter! (though, they usually have gardens in more growing friendly regions)
A hearty hearty, cold-loving green—perfect for our humble little homestead garden!

Kale as itself 
Sauté a little garlic in a warm pan with olive oil. Add chopped kale and steam/sauté, covered, for about 2 minutes or until just wilted. Add a little lemon juice and voila!

Kale and Potato Gratin
(a northern European recipe from The Joy of Cooking)

Steam 1 lb. washed kale
Peel and cut into rounds 4 med. potatoes & 2 small onions.
Build alternating layer of kale, potatoes, and onions in a buttered baking dish
            • Begin and end with a potato layer.
            • On each onion layer add
                        2 T. butter
                        1 t. tarragon
                        ½ t. salt
                        ¼ t. pepper
Pour 1 ½ c. milk or half-and-half over the top.
Cover and bake at 350° for 30-45 min.
yum!