Kale

[InMediasRes]

I have read so many great things about it, so we decided to try it tonight. I just sauteed it with garlic and butter, S&P, like I do with spinach.

I want to love it, but... I didn't. It was pretty bitter and it never seemed to cook down.

I can't get enough of spinach and I love swiss chard. I would like to branch out and use more dark greens in our house, but I need some other way to do it. My family never ate any veggies except corn and peas (frozen) until I was nearly 18, so I don't have a lot to work with.

How do you cook your kale? What other greens do you use and how do you use them?

[babycarrier]

I'm new to Kale - but have been enjoying it. I am finding long cook times helpful. My favorite has been sauteed with coconut milk and a little stock and left to sit on the stove. I threw some black beans in and had it cold for leftovers tonight and it was yummy.

[sophiesgrandma]

Did you rip the leafy part from the main stem? The main stem is extra bitter.
I saute the kale in olive oil and garlic in a wok and it cooks down pretty fast. You can also cut it up and add it to soups. When its sauteeing I keep turning it over with a pair of tongs.

[faeriecurls]

Kale chips!! http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/03/ba...ips/#more-5870

I'm not crazy about it over all, but kale chips are good. Also, try blanching it first then sauteing with olive oil & garlic, S&P. You can also put it in soups & stews (I am blanking on specifics right now, but I know that I have made a peanut stew with yams and kale or collard greens). I have had it in salad before - it was steamed, then chilled.

I love spinach, chard, broccoli rabe, and collard greens (well in some dishes - I've only had them 2 ways).

[Kelilah]

Kale is like turnip greens, collards, mustards - it's much sturdier than spinach so it needs a bit more cooking. I do kale in lots of ways but mostly I braise it the same way I do collards. Tear it off the main stem, into pieces, and set aside. Saute a little onion or garlic in olive oil, then add the kale and saute it for a minute or two until it gets bright; then add a splash of cider vinegar or rice vinegar, saute another minute or two, and add about a cup of broth. You can also add hot sauce or red pepper flakes for a bit more flavor. Let it all simmer for 15-20 minutes and taste it, and give it another few minutes if it's still tough, but it should be good by now. If your main dish is still cooking, you can turn it down to low and let it keep simmering until everything else is ready - won't hurt it at all as long as it's still wet.

I also love adding kale to soups, especially lentil soup. Yum.

And there are also different kinds of kale with different flavors. My favorite is the lacinato kale, or "dinosaur kale," with long curled leaves. It has a more spinachy flavor than the other kinds so you might like it better. Still cook it like a tough green though, because sauteeing isn't enough for kale.

[Storm Bride]

Kale chips.

Cut the kale away from the ribs, and tear into bite size pieces. For one bunch of kale, massage 2 Tbsp. olive oil, 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar, and salt to taste into the kale. Bake on a cookie sheet about 325 until dark green and crispy (don't worry if they get a bit brown, though).

Yummy.

ETA: It only takes about 10 minutes, and flip halfway through.

[InMediasRes]

Ah, got it. Looks like it needs to be cooked with more liquid and for longer. I'll have to try the kale chips! Yum! DS would probably love that.

And yes, I did tear it off the ribs.

[Magelet]

I like to cut it up into very narrow ribbons (and slice the stem so incredibly thin... like 2-3x the width of an eggshell, as thin as possible.) Saute it in olive oil or other fat low and slow for a long while (usually I saute some onions first then add the kale). then add some white wine (or in a pinch, a little white wine vinegar though it changes the color for the worst) and cook it more with plenty of salt. Most often, I do use the white wine vinegar, I try to add it when it's essentially done cooking. Get good kale, try a different bunch, a different store, a different farm, a different type, whatever. Bad kale will be bitter. I don't find that good fresh kale when sauteed is very bitter or tough.

I also like to saute it and dump it in soup.

[Storm Bride]

Originally Posted by InMediasRes

Ah, got it. Looks like it needs to be cooked with more liquid and for longer. I'll have to try the kale chips! Yum! DS would probably love that.

Yeah - they've been a huge hit here, even with members of the family who don't care for greens, in general.

[cristeen]

I had the same reaction the first time I made kale, but now i love it.

It will never cook down and get as tender as chard or spinach though, it will always retain a bit of texture. My favorite way to eat it is in fried rice or pasta. I can braise 2 or 3 bunches of greens in the pasta sauce and we'll happily eat every bite.

[iamama]

In a smoothie with frozen fruit! You won't believe you love it!

[californiajenn]

Cook kale in a small amount of broth and then add leeks and bacon grease. Crumble bacon on top for extra yummyness.

[corysmilk]

I eat it raw in salads.

[elizawill]

Originally Posted by iamama

In a smoothie with frozen fruit! You won't believe you love it!

you can't even taste it. very yummy!

[hildare]

i love kale! my favorite is just to sautee and add to pasta. here's a cool blog that you might get some ideas from http://www.365daysofkale.com/

[Owen'nZoe]

Also, there are many types of kale, and the different types can taste quite different from one another. My kids are happy to eat Lacinato kale, but don't really like the curly leaf kind.

[emaye_to_2]

Our family absolutely loves kale and eat it often. We always just saute the greens [after removing main stems] in olive oil with garlic and red pepper flakes (we like it spicy). Add a bit of water if necessary. Then after a few minutes I sprinkle on a little soy sauce or sometimes lemon juice.

[Jaxinator]

I used it for the first time last night. I made a recipe from allrecipes, zuppa toscano, and used curly kale instead of spinach. <3
Absolutely LOVED it in that recipe.
I imagine it would be good in other soups as well.

[lil_earthmomma]

Mmmmmmmmmm kale...

My two favorite ways of eating kale:

Dutch stamppot

(You boil potatoes and mash them with butter and cream and while mashing add steamed kale and sausage. It mashes into the potatoes making a delicious one dish meal. I add roasted garlic cloves to the mashing!!!)

Italian wedding soup

[puffingirl]

In addition to kale chips, we also like it sauteed like yours but cooked a little more and sweetened up with raisins, toasted pine nuts and a splash of balsamic vinegar towards the end of the cooking time. A little parmesan on top is awesome if you have it handy, but not needed. Enjoy!