I stumbled onto an NPR article today titled: Is It Time to Cool It On Kale Already? Well, I am sure you can imagine my excitement. I immediately clicked over to read the whole article, hoping it would justify my loathing mild distaste for Kale. I have to admit, even though I was willing to get on board, it didn’t make much of a case for me. The article’s premise is that we’ve turned this green leafy giant into a super food, but too much of a good thing is just that, too much of a good thing. The article suggested that food variation is necessary for overall good heath, and that while Kale packs a nutritional punch, it needs to be part of a varied diet. {Duh!}
Here’s the thing: I have never, ever, not once, seen someone “overdo it” on Kale. {Largely because it is not all that tasty–oops, that’s a personal opinion.} Seriously, I have never been inclined to tell a friend, “Listen, I think you’re eating too much Kale. Why don’t you lay off it for awhile, you know, try some spinach.” Nope, never. So, while I had my hopes high, NPR teased me.
I’m pretty sure the authors were trying to be funny, but for this gal, who would take almost any excuse not to grow and eat it, it was just a cruel joke. I guess I’ll have to continue to choke it down–or stock up on a boatload of vitamins.
~Mavis
Laura says
I’d like it if they “Cool it” with kale! Ever since it became one of the “in” foods I can’t afford it for my Guinea pig! I tried growing it for her, but that was not a success. The vet wants her to have 1/4 an orange or some kale daily for vitamin C.
I saw some nasty looking kale salad in the deli at Winco just the other day. They even had free samples of it! My teenaged son and I both turned it down. They called it something like Super Kale Salad, or Kale Superfood Salad.
You and I are different in that I don’t grow anything I don’t personally like to eat! I’m the gardener, I’m the cook. I grow and cook what I like. (Except birthdays, when family gets what they want. Thus my “dinner” tonight will be Taco Bell and a birthday cake for my baby, 18 today!)
Kristina says
Aw, we love kale! (Although not as much as we love collards.) Maybe you need to try a different variety? Our favorite is the wild kale mix offered by Territorial. That said, I agree it’s tough to overdo kale. Even WE don’t eat it at every meal 🙂
DonnaJantzer says
I’m with you! The first time I grew kale, I grew eight giant purple curly kale plants. They were almost as tall as I am, they were gorgeous to look at. I ate some when it was small, I ate some when it was bigger, and I never cared for it (at all). I found the best use for it! After a couple of frosts it got really dark, almost black, and I cut 2 feet of the tops and used them for Halloween centerpieces for a haunted house display. A few fake spider webs and it was so amazingly creepy. A double whammy for kale-phobics!!
Cris Wentz says
Mavis, I’m really picky about my kale. It has to be frosted on. It has to be the correct age. It has to be cooked with a pork product lol…but the best way is baby. I;m sayin just 6 to 8 leaves to braise it, or even younger to eat it in salads. Most of the ways I see on line simply dont taste good enough to bother with….but baby kale…ahhhhh……
linda says
I love kale salads with avocado. I can make that salad 3-4 times a week. Everyone in my family loves it. Sometimes I think we over do that salad but it’s so good I don’t care.
You Can Call Me Jane says
I’m not ashamed to say I don’t like it. Swiss chard can even be a stretch for me. Spinach, I LOVE. I’m really, really, really happy for those who like it, though, and am even a tad jealous. I just don’t have it in me. P.S. The photo rocks;-).
Mavis Butterfield says
I only started liking spinach a few years ago, so maybe there is hope for us yet. 🙂 BYW, I love your new door. 🙂
Joy Burnsworth says
Here is a recipe that might make you like Kale.
2 Cups of Kale
3 or 4 cloves garlic
1/4 Cups of slivered almonds
1 tasp. lemon juice
1/4 Cup olive oil
Put all above accept olive oil in your food processor pulse
adding olive oil as you are pulsing until all .
is mixed well.
Mavis I hope this recipe will help you to think differently about Kale
Mavis Butterfield says
Thanks Joy, I’ll give it a try.
Mary Ann says
I can eat broccoli EVERY DAY (not kidding), but I can’t do kale, spinach, or swiss chard even ONE day — not one bite. Ick.
Wynne says
But have you tried kale mixed into cheesy mashed potatoes yet? Too bad about the NPR article.
Amy Sawyer says
Put it in tomato soup, you’ll never know it’s there and can get all the benefits 🙂
Amy Sawyer says
Oh, also if you like spinach dip do half spinach and half kale, that is totally doable 😀
Cecily says
I put it in smoothies. My kids can’t even tell its in there. And young dinosaur kale braised in butter with garlic it is devine.
Mari says
People tend to leave kale till it is a huge big leafy plant before they eat it. You have shown your plants in photos and yes, they are huge, but they are also bitter and unpalatable at that stage. I eat my leaves when they are 4″ long. They just need a light steam, stir fry or boil and they are tender and tasty. Some varieties (nero or negro or what ever it is) is not really to my liking as it is very coarse and sinewy. Eating it small and fresh is the way to go.
Planting it too early in the season is another reason it gets coarse. It is meant to be a winter vege so the heat of summer dries it out. I don’t plant my seeds until about the beginning of Feb here in NZ ( Sept for you) and it keeps better as a younger plant. Some varieties are meant for spring sowing and others for autumn so check your packet for that. I never grow it over summer as there are so many other veges about then.
Rosaleen says
My family is not keen on kale, but I like it. I can get them eat it in stir-fries, soups, stews, and mashed with potatoes. Too bad there isn’t a Dr. Seuss book about green potatoes and ham! I agree that a tomato carrier really masks kale, which may be why the stew went over so well.
Kellie says
You are hilarious, Mavis! I’m growing kale for the first time this year. Served it once. Found I had to braise it longer than 30 minutes cuz the leaves were a bit (ok, a lot) too mature. So the plants now make gorgeous architectural statements in the garden. I have, however, sown a few for winter gardening. I’ll see how that goes.
Sandy says
My 15 year old boy and I fight over the kale chips I make in the dehydrator…but cooked or steamed, ick.
Tracy says
The only way I eat kale is in a smoothie. I love the peanut butter, kale, spinach, smoothie. It truly tastes like a peanut butter shake.
•1 small ripe banana, peeled (1/2 if it’s a big banana)
•1 cup spinach
•1 cup kale
•1 tbsp Better n Peanut Butter ( I use closer to two)
•1 tbsp. honey (more or less to taste)
•3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk ( I used normal milk and probably not this much
•1/2 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt ( I don’t put yogurt in mine, I didn’t like the flavor)
4 – 6 ice cubes
If it’s too thick, I add some water to thin it out in the blender. I also sometimes add Chia seed, but only if I’m going to drink it right away because it expands.
Amy Kolb says
We have a produce farm and we currently have 30 acres of Kale. Last year we grew 5 acres and could barely sell it, this year 30 wasn’t enough. The demand is so high. I don’t understand because I HATE the stuff. I’m going to try fermenting the stems, maybe then it will taste better. I would love to hear more recipes people like!
Becbeq says
I always put in a four pack of kale plants – for my guinea pig. Some of the local deer found my front yard garden bed this year. They ate all the leaves off my cucumbers, chowed down on mint, ate the lettuce and swiss chard. But not even deer ate the kale!
Katrina says
I always put it into whatever soup I am making (I have soup year round each day for lunch). At the end, i use the emersion blender and you never know the difference:)
Allison says
Hi Mavis,
I love receiving your blog each day! You, my dear, have simply inspired my family and I to plant our first garden, bake, freeze meals, cook healthy meals, and download a whole bunch of awesomely FREE Kindle books! Lucy the puggle dog is pretty darn cute too.
We planted a few kale plants this year and I was stumped what to do with them. Then I saw this article/recipe in Outside magazine for Kale chips and I devoured the whole pan full practically by myself! I want to grow a whole garden’s worth next year just so I can munch on these! It’s so simple!
Rub with olive oil, salt, and chili powder, then bake at 300 degrees for ten minutes! Voila! They were simply delicious! My husband, our three year old twin girls, and I just couldn’t keep our hands off of them! Yum! Enjoy!
Caroline says
Mavis, If you really can’t stand it, then dehydrate it and put a scoop in a smoothie – you get all the benefits (if you dehydrate it on a low heat) and you get to mask it in something that tastes good.
I grow Kale – tons of Kale. It helps me with my garden costs as gals at work love organically grown (not certified, of course – and I tell them that) Kale that they don’t have to buy at the grocers. And you bet I’m charging a premium price (not quite as high as the organic market, but higher than regular stores) – but they don’t hesitate to pay it (they’re all juicing like crazy women). Now, I don’t nearly pay for my garden, and I grow much more than they’d buy – so I dehydrate to put it away for when I can grow it (during the summer here in the S. Florida heat).
Yes, I’ve blanched and frozen kale for smoothies – it’s a nightmare as the stems get all caught up in the blades. Dehydrating (at around 90 – 100F) is the way to go! 🙂
Holly Tartaglia says
Mavis, I pick the leaves into smaller pieces, discard the stems….then I heat some olive oil in the bottom of a pot and I saute about six cloves of sliced garlic until they start to brown. Then I put the kale into the pot and cover….on high heat…in a few, I toss it, scraping the garlic off. Sometimes i have to add more oil…but it steams a bit and then I sautee it in the oil, but not too much…we like it a bit crunchy, not soggy. My whole family eats it like that (it’s how I introduce any green veggie and my kids eat it!) We like it better than spinach as one of my kids gags on the slimy texture of spinach…we eat it about every other week and sometime once a week. When we move to our farm, I will definitely be growing it! I have also made kale chips in the oven and a chopped kale salad with lemon, garlic, olive oil, a few bread crumbs and parmesan cheese….the lemon tenderizes the kale….sorry you don’t like it!
Holly Tartaglia says
To clarify…”in a few” refers to minutes…when the kale starts to wilt.
“scraping the garlic off” refers to the bottom of the pan…sometimes it sticks.
AW Firestone says
Try either chopping dino kale, lacinato, very finely or pulsing it in the food processor till it’s tiny pieces. Serve raw with just tomatoes and this dressing:
1/2 jar Veganaise (small jar)
1/2 jar Annie’s Green Goddess salad dressing
ground, fresh ginger, I like lots
minced garlic, I like lots
two grated carrots
splash of apple cider vinegar
splash of lemon juice
Combine thoroughly and let sit for a couple of hours/overnight before using. Soooo yum!!!!!