What is Kale and How to Use it in Cooking

Written by KC Kudra

Thursday, 10 July 2008 23:34

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 common green vegetable in Europe until the 1600s, and even before that, we have had evidence of the cultivation of Kale going back to the fourth century BC in Greece. Kale was a favorite addition to the British Victory Gardens of World War II, and today, people are finding more reasons than ever to add it to their diets.

If you have been out for dinner several nights in a row or not cooked for another reason, you have probably opened your refrigerator door at some point and winced at a soggy, brown pile of what were once vegetables. Kale freezes very well and actually tastes sweeter after being exposed to a frost. If you have fresh kale and especially fresh kale shoots which are very tender, try adding them to a salad. If you are making a kale salad, you might also want to add strong peppers, roasted nuts and peanuts, all of which bring out the strong, smoky flavor.

Kale is a green that is eaten around the world, and there are plenty of recipes to choose from. If you like cooked vegetables over raw ones, take a look at the kale recipes from the southern half of Africa, where kale is typically boiled with coconut milk and ground up or powdered peanut before being served on top of rice or a variety of flat breads. This is a great way to enjoy some extremely tasty vegetarian food, if you are looking to cut back on the meat in your diet.

By contrast, you will also find that in Europe, kale is often combined with sliced or ground up meat, especially heavily spiced sausage or ground beef. It is usually combined with potatoes, broth, and olive oil and served in such a way that will complement the meat; in this fashion, the meat does not completely obscure the taste of the greens, as it would with a milder vegetable. You will also find that kale can be quite tasty if it is chopped up and added to stir-fry, something that happens around the globe.

When you are looking to stir-fry kale, try adding Japanese shiitake mushrooms to the mix. Remove the kale's stems and slice the leaves into large chunks. Heat some oil in your frying pan or wok, and gently fry up the mushrooms, garlic, and anything else you think might be tasty. When these ingredients are relatively tender, add kale, and seasons like soy sauce, pepper, and sesame oil, and you will have a tasty dish in very short order.

Kale is an extremely underrated vegetable, but with a little bit of effort, you can see how easily it slips into your diet. Take advantage of this dark green vegetable and integrate it into your daily life!

About the Author:

Looking for a lite and wonderfully flavor filled salad? here is one of our favorite Ramen noodle salad recipe it makes a delightful meal or try it with our chicken salad recipes

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