Kale

Anthony said:

In an effort to increase my veg repertoire I bought some kale. I
sauteed some onion and garlic, put in the kale with some dry pepper
flakes and covered the pan. I cooked it for about 15 minutes, stirring
now and then. It was horrible. Back to spinach!

Try Swiss Chard - much more mild and tasty - much more like spinach. I
like the red Swiss Chard the best.
-L.

Anthony said:

In an effort to increase my veg repertoire I bought some kale. I
sauteed some onion and garlic, put in the kale with some dry pepper
flakes and covered the pan. I cooked it for about 15 minutes, stirring
now and then. It was horrible. Back to spinach!

It is definitely an acquired taste. I don't think 15 minutes is long
enough to tenderize it. Kale is tough, strong flavored and very strong
smelling. My ancestors used it in soup but i have always preferred
collards instead. Either way, I don't think I've made the soup in 20
years. It was never my favorite.

gloria p

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

In an effort to increase my veg repertoire I bought some kale. I
sauteed some onion and garlic, put in the kale with some dry pepper
flakes and covered the pan. I cooked it for about 15 minutes, stirring
now and then. It was horrible. Back to spinach!

15 min is too short for most kale. Try steaming it until done - you have
to check the thickest parts to tell - then drain well and chop coarsely.
Saute slowly in olive oil with some garlic, salt, and pepper. Top with
toasted pine nuts. It can be great stuff - don;t give up!

--
Peter Aitken
Visit my recipe and kitchen myths pages at www.pgacon.com/cooking.htm

"Anthony" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

In an effort to increase my veg repertoire I bought some kale. I
sauteed some onion and garlic, put in the kale with some dry pepper
flakes and covered the pan. I cooked it for about 15 minutes, stirring
now and then. It was horrible. Back to spinach!

Growing up, my favorite meal (the one I always asked for on
my birthday) was pot roast. My mother would make it in
a pressure cooker. We called the dinner "Roast beef, browned
potatoes, and brown gravy". The green vegetable was
always kale. It wasn't until I went to college that I was more
than mildly aware that there were any other kinds of green
leafy vegetables.

Wash it, cut it into small pieces, then saute it in bacon grease;
cover and steam. 15 minutes does sound somewhat short.

"Anthony" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In an effort to increase my veg repertoire I bought some kale. I
sauteed some onion and garlic, put in the kale with some dry pepper
flakes and covered the pan. I cooked it for about 15 minutes, stirring
now and then. It was horrible. Back to spinach!

Keep trying it. Chop it into soups. It's terrific when cooked correctly,
which you didn't do.

"AC" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Anthony said:

In an effort to increase my veg repertoire I bought some kale. I
sauteed some onion and garlic, put in the kale with some dry pepper
flakes and covered the pan. I cooked it for about 15 minutes,

stirring

Quoted message said:

now and then. It was horrible. Back to spinach!

kale is going to be a lot tougher and more bitter than spinach.

Kale gets bitter when grown in hot weather. It's best in early spring (young
leaves), or in the fall when it's been subjected to some cold weather. This
may never happen if grown in California, but if there's a source of locally
grown kale, and you're in a climate where temps get down to freezing, the
vegetable can be extraordinary.

Anthony said:

In an effort to increase my veg repertoire I bought some kale. I
sauteed some onion and garlic, put in the kale with some dry pepper
flakes and covered the pan. I cooked it for about 15 minutes,

stirring

Quoted message said:

now and then. It was horrible. Back to spinach!

kale is going to be a lot tougher and more bitter than spinach. you
might
want to try treating them more like collards. braise in some chicken
stock
with some sort of smoked pork product like bacon or ham hocks. throw
in some garlic, onions, red pepper flakes and a splash of cider
vinegar at the end. i'd try to braise them some around an hour, maybe
more.

Anthony said:

In an effort to increase my veg repertoire I bought some kale. I
sauteed some onion and garlic, put in the kale with some dry pepper
flakes and covered the pan. I cooked it for about 15 minutes, stirring
now and then. It was horrible. Back to spinach!

For quick cooking you need to remove the stems (use stems as a separate
vegetable - good diced into soups).

---> http://www.justvegetablerecipes.com/inxkal.html

Sheldon

I include some diced tomatoes and some vinegar when
cooking kale. I find it improves the results.
There can however be a strong aroma of indole with
some kale (those who have worked in a chem lab
will immediately recognize this smell.)

Steve

Anthony said:

In an effort to increase my veg repertoire I bought some kale. I
sauteed some onion and garlic, put in the kale with some dry pepper
flakes and covered the pan. I cooked it for about 15 minutes,
stirring now and then. It was horrible. Back to spinach!

In the Diary of Anne Frank, she describes
pickled kale as one of the staple foods
of her diet. She hated it. IIRC, she
in particular hated the stink when one
of the barrels was opened.

"Mark Thorson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Anthony said:

In an effort to increase my veg repertoire I bought some kale. I
sauteed some onion and garlic, put in the kale with some dry pepper
flakes and covered the pan. I cooked it for about 15 minutes,
stirring now and then. It was horrible. Back to spinach!

In the Diary of Anne Frank, she describes
pickled kale as one of the staple foods
of her diet. She hated it. IIRC, she
in particular hated the stink when one
of the barrels was opened.

Yuk, I tried to cook it once - I won't be trying again!

Elaine

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Quoted message said:

"Mark Thorson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

Anthony said:

In an effort to increase my veg repertoire I bought some kale. I
sauteed some onion and garlic, put in the kale with some dry pepper
flakes and covered the pan. I cooked it for about 15 minutes,
stirring now and then. It was horrible. Back to spinach!

In the Diary of Anne Frank, she describes
pickled kale as one of the staple foods
of her diet. She hated it. IIRC, she
in particular hated the stink when one
of the barrels was opened.

Yuk, I tried to cook it once - I won't be trying again!

Elaine

Cook what? Pickled kale, or some other recipe for kale?

Anthony said:

In an effort to increase my veg repertoire I bought some kale. I
sauteed some onion and garlic, put in the kale with some dry pepper
flakes and covered the pan. I cooked it for about 15 minutes, stirring
now and then. It was horrible. Back to spinach!

I do a similar technique:

1. Fry up a slice of bacon in the bottom of a deep saucepan
2. Fry up some onion and garlic scapes in the bacon grease.
3. Put in as much kale as fits in the pot.
4. Add a 1/4 cup of water
5. Heat until the water boils.
6. Steam it, uncovered, for a good half hour.
7. Add a few shakes of pepper sauce
8. Add cider vinegar until it tastes right.

The last step is the important one, since otherwise it takes kale a
looong time simmering to lose the bitterness.

I like this dish (although it's usually a mix of kale, collards, and
mustard greens, since I grow all of these), and eat it 2-3x a week
during the summer.

--
Richard W Kaszeta
[email hidden]
http://www.kaszeta.org/rich

On Thu 04 May 2006 09:48:04a, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it Anthony?

Quoted message said:

In an effort to increase my veg repertoire I bought some kale. I
sauteed some onion and garlic, put in the kale with some dry pepper
flakes and covered the pan. I cooked it for about 15 minutes, stirring
now and then. It was horrible. Back to spinach!

When I cook kale, I boil slowly, covered, for about 45 minutes, with some
dried pepper flakes added. Then drain, add a couple tablespoons of vinegar,
dash of sugar, and salt to taste, reheat for 10-15 minutes.

--
Wayne Boatwright @¿@¬
_____________________

Anthony said:

In an effort to increase my veg repertoire I bought some kale. I
sauteed some onion and garlic, put in the kale with some dry pepper
flakes and covered the pan. I cooked it for about 15 minutes, stirring
now and then. It was horrible. Back to spinach!

First, fresh kale (there is no reason to try any other kind), like any
other vegetable, has to be of good quality to taste good. It is no
longer kale season in the northern hemisphere. Kale is really good only
after the first frost and thererafter, as long as it is still cold (as
in near-freezing or colder). Second, it requires much longer cooking
time.

Here is a recipe I like which is fairly typical around here. I think I
posted it before.

Grünkohl-Eintopf mit Mettwürstchen und magerem Speck
Kale Stew with little Mettwurst sausages and lean Speck

For 4 servings

1 kg (2.2 pounds) kale
350-400 g (12-14 oz) potatoes
375 g (13 oz) lean Speck (or substitute smoked bacon from the belly)
2 onions
50 g (1.8 oz) goose schmalz
8 Mettwürstchen (real German smoked, coarse ones that tend to be tough
and chewy [but in a pleasant way])

Clean and thoroughly rinse the kale, blanch in salted water and chop
finely. Render the goose schmalz in a pot, add the kale, 250 g (8.8 oz)
Speck and some water, and cook for 30 minutes. Add the Mettwürstchen
and cook for 20 more minutes. Peel and separately cook the potatoes.
Meanwhile, dice the remaining Speck and the onions and cook in a pan
until the fat is rendered. Coarsely mash the potatoes and add them to
the kale. Mix in the rendered Speck and onions.

Victor

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Quoted message said:

In an effort to increase my veg repertoire I bought some kale. I
sauteed some onion and garlic, put in the kale with some dry pepper
flakes and covered the pan. I cooked it for about 15 minutes, stirring
now and then. It was horrible. Back to spinach!

I love kale. Here in Hollan,d it is typically used for only one recipe:
stamppot boerenkool. Cut up kale is cooked until done (20-40 minutes). I
need about 20 mins for the froznen stuff, fresh takes longer. Then it is
added to mashed potatoes. It's served with (smoked) sausage and gravy and
fried bits of bacon. Some people likd to have gherkins or piccalilly on the
side, or mustard. SOmetimes I ad freid onions to the mash. My mother also
added cooked barley to it (good for texture).

So I'd say, give it another try cooking it longer.

Jeffrey Steingarten says it takes about 8-10 tries before a new, "strange"
food tastes good, the tries being in smalllish quantities. So maybe you
could give another 9 tries 🙂

Quoted message said:

I love kale. Here in Hollan,d it is typically used for only one recipe:
stamppot boerenkool. Cut up kale is cooked until done (20-40 minutes). I
need about 20 mins for the froznen stuff, fresh takes longer. Then it is
added to mashed potatoes. It's served with (smoked) sausage and gravy and
fried bits of bacon. Some people likd to have gherkins or piccalilly on
the side, or mustard. SOmetimes I ad freid onions to the mash. My mother
also added cooked barley to it (good for texture).

So I'd say, give it another try cooking it longer.

Jeffrey Steingarten says it takes about 8-10 tries before a new, "strange"
food tastes good, the tries being in smalllish quantities. So maybe you
could give another 9 tries 🙂

PS I tied jarred kale once. Never again, it was horrible.

Puester <[email hidden]> news:Svq6g.42335$eR6.41252@bgtnsc04-
news.ops.worldnet.att.net:

Quoted message said:

Anthony said:

In an effort to increase my veg repertoire I bought some kale. I
sauteed some onion and garlic, put in the kale with some dry pepper
flakes and covered the pan. I cooked it for about 15 minutes, stirring
now and then. It was horrible. Back to spinach!

It is definitely an acquired taste. I don't think 15 minutes is long
enough to tenderize it. Kale is tough, strong flavored and very strong
smelling. My ancestors used it in soup but i have always preferred
collards instead. Either way, I don't think I've made the soup in 20
years. It was never my favorite.

gloria p

A long time ago, when I was inspired by Emeril, I made his mother's
(allegedly) Portugese Kale Soup. It was pretty good IIRC. Here is the
recipe.

Portuguese Sausage and Kale Soup

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups Portuguese Sausage (Linguica or Chourico), about 14 ounces, sliced,
1/2-inch thick
1 medium onion, chopped
2 large potatoes, peeled, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoons minced fresh garlic
10 to 12 cups unsalted chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth
4 cups curly kale, about 4 ounces, stems trimmed, torn in pieces
2 bay leaves
Salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons Bayou Blast
5 turns ground black pepper
1/3 cup minced fresh mint

Directions
Heat oil in a large pot over high heat. Add Portuguese sausage and onion;
cook, stirring, until onions begin to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add potatoes,
parsley and garlic. Cook, stirring, 2 minutes.

Add 10 cups stock or broth and kale; heat to a boil. Add bay leaves, salt,
thyme, pepper flakes Bayou Blast and black pepper. Reduce heat and simmer,
uncovered, until potatoes are tender, 20 to 25 minutes, adding more stock
if necessary.

Skim fat from surface and ladle into large bowls. Top with mint; let stand
a minute or two before serving.

*Note: Be sure to use curly kale rather than decorative or ornamental kale.
Curly kale, a non-heading member of the cabbage family, has frilly, dark
green leaves and is sold in bunches

Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Makes 16 cups

Michael
--
"The first zucchini I ever saw I killed it with a hoe."
John Gould, Monstrous Depravity, 1963

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Puester <[email hidden]> news:Svq6g.42335$eR6.41252@bgtnsc04-
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Quoted message said:

Anthony said:

In an effort to increase my veg repertoire I bought some kale. I
sauteed some onion and garlic, put in the kale with some dry pepper
flakes and covered the pan. I cooked it for about 15 minutes, stirring
now and then. It was horrible. Back to spinach!

It is definitely an acquired taste. I don't think 15 minutes is long
enough to tenderize it. Kale is tough, strong flavored and very strong
smelling. My ancestors used it in soup but i have always preferred
collards instead. Either way, I don't think I've made the soup in 20
years. It was never my favorite.

gloria p

A long time ago, when I was inspired by Emeril, I made his mother's
(allegedly) Portugese Kale Soup. It was pretty good IIRC. Here is the
recipe.

Portuguese Sausage and Kale Soup

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups Portuguese Sausage (Linguica or Chourico), about 14 ounces, sliced,
1/2-inch thick
1 medium onion, chopped
2 large potatoes, peeled, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoons minced fresh garlic
10 to 12 cups unsalted chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth
4 cups curly kale, about 4 ounces, stems trimmed, torn in pieces
2 bay leaves
Salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons Bayou Blast
5 turns ground black pepper
1/3 cup minced fresh mint

Directions
Heat oil in a large pot over high heat. Add Portuguese sausage and onion;
cook, stirring, until onions begin to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add
potatoes,
parsley and garlic. Cook, stirring, 2 minutes.

Add 10 cups stock or broth and kale; heat to a boil. Add bay leaves, salt,
thyme, pepper flakes Bayou Blast and black pepper. Reduce heat and simmer,
uncovered, until potatoes are tender, 20 to 25 minutes, adding more stock
if necessary.

Skim fat from surface and ladle into large bowls. Top with mint; let stand
a minute or two before serving.

*Note: Be sure to use curly kale rather than decorative or ornamental
kale.
Curly kale, a non-heading member of the cabbage family, has frilly, dark
green leaves and is sold in bunches

Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Makes 16 cups

Michael
--
"The first zucchini I ever saw I killed it with a hoe."

Michael, I finished left-overs today of Portuguese soup. I usually play it
by ear, but it is/was very much like you make it. This time as I prepared
my own chicken stock, I left some of the chicken breast in the soup as
well - not a lot, though. I usually add a couple of tablespoons of
vegetable stock (Superior brand-very concentrated herbs - no other herbs
needed unless you want to, if you use this brand.) One thing I did add
this time that I never had before was about 2" of the tip of a nice parsnip,
diced finely. You could discern it, but it made it just a little bit better
for us. Try it next time if you have a spare parsnip around if you like
parsnips.
If you don't overcook it, and if you have the kale small enough that it
doesn't stick in your throat, it will be done at the same time as your
potatoes, etc. I leave out the hot when cooking because DH prefers it
normal, but I add some pepper flakes to mine at the table.
I love this soup, too.
Dee Dee

Mi

Quoted message said:

John Gould, Monstrous Depravity, 1963