Kale: A Decorative and
Delicious Superfood
by Doreen Shababy 
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Kale |
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Species |
Brassica oleracea |
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Zone |
3–10 |
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Needs |
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Soil pH |
5.8–7.0 |
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Size |
up to 2 ft. |
I first met kale in the mideighties when learning how to decorate a salad bar. I’d never even heard of it before then. I’m not sure when I became fascinated with kale, but once I learned how to cook it and eat it, I then learned how to grow it. And growing it is easy and fun, because not only are there several “types” of kale for the kitchen garden, there are many ornamental hybrids that look almost like peonies or even roses.
Kale in the Garden
Kale, Brassica oleracea, is a primitive cabbage and is nonheading, a member of the acephala group. All the main forms of kale we know today have been grown for at least two thousand years, especially among the ancient Romans, who grew a wide variety, including tall and short, curly and plain, blue-green, yellow-green, and red kales.
There is also a plant called sea kale, Crambe maritima, the leaves of which greatly resemble cabbage kale, but it is not at all related; sea kale is a wild, salt-loving plant of coastal Europe. That being said, kale is sometimes used to take up soil salinity in coastal regions and as a rotation crop to prevent overmineralization.
Brassica napus, or Siberian kale, is typically milder in taste and of a more tender leaf. ‘Ragged Jack’ is one cultivar, and ‘Red Russian’ is a popular variety that can be enjoyed raw when still young. They are very winter hardy, down to 10 degrees Fahrenheit according to some folks, if well mulched. This makes them an early sprouting crop in the spring.
In Old Europe the cabbage or kale root was sometimes dried and then smoked; the word calumet, a ceremonial pipe, comes from the same root word as kale.
Growing kale is not difficult, although starting your seed indoors (or buying starts) and planting out later gives you sturdier plants than direct seeding. When setting out seedlings, follow the recommended spacing as written on the seed pack, since the plants you set out now will surely fill the space in a month or so. Planting too close causes two problems: first, it can stunt the growth of the plant and you will end up with the same amount of veggie from two plants crowded together as you would from one specimen; second, it can invite aphids in late summer. Plant your kale where it can be well mulched in the fall to carry you into winter. Frost doesn’t hurt the leaves; some say they taste better after a frost. In the spring, the old stalk should sprout, giving you early greens to toss into soup.
A few historical types of kale include the following:
• Flanders kale, a subvariety of tree-cabbage, is the probable ancestor of brussels sprouts and can grow up to six feet tall.
• Cow cabbage is a forage kale that grows from six to twelve feet in height.
• Thousand-headed kale is similar to the Flanders kale, growing up to five feet tall. It can overwinter in mild climates and live for years.
Kitchen Lore
Cooking kale can be a learning experience, and eating it might be considered an acquired taste. Its flavor can be somewhat assertive, but the sturdy leaf can be prepared in many savory ways, including oven-baked “chips.”
The popular dish colcannon is of Irish origin. Its name comes from Irish Gaelic cál ceannann, meaning “white-speckled cabbage,” though cannon may also come from cainnenn, meaning onion, garlic, or leek, writes food historian Alan Davidson. The first written mention of preparing colcannon with potatoes comes from an Englishman’s travel journal in 1735. In the United States the recipe appears as simply “Cabbage and Potatoes” in an 1847 Mrs. Crowen’s American Lady’s Cookery Book.
With an Irish fondness for cream and butter, the following recipe ought to pluck at your heartstrings with visions of rolling green pastures and cows grazing contentedly.
Colcannon
This quintessential dish is often served on Halloween. According to Davidson, colcannon was sometimes used as a marriage divination tool. Yes, kale and leeks can predict your future mate! Before serving, special charms were hidden in each diner’s bowl, and if unmarried young women were lucky enough to find, say, a ring, it was a portent of marriage. This game also made one careful to not eat too fast. Another method used to find one’s future mate instructed the seeker to fill a stocking with a few spoonfuls of colcannon and hang it from the front doorknob, and the first man through the door would become the hopeful maid’s husband. I think a man who goes past a stocking full of kale on the door has the courage of Cúchulainn and deserves recognition.
2 pounds red boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into
quarters
3 teaspoons salt, divided
4 cups thinly sliced kale, tough ribs removed
1 cup thinly sliced leeks, washed well
½ cup milk
½ cup (1 stick) butter, divided
¼ teaspoon pepper, or to taste
Place potatoes in a medium saucepan, cover with water, add 1 teaspoon salt, and then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover, and let cook until fork tender, about 15–20 minutes. Drain and then keep at low heat, shaking pan to dry the potatoes.
While the potatoes are cooking, place the kale in another saucepan with water to cover and ½ teaspoon salt, and then bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook approximately 5–10 minutes until tender as desired—do not overcook. Drain into a colander.
In the same saucepan used for the kale, melt 2 tablespoons butter at medium heat and sauté the leeks until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the milk and ½ teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered for about 10 minutes.
Mash the potatoes in their saucepan with 4 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon salt, and the pepper. With a wooden spoon, beat in the leek-infused milk with the potatoes until well blended. Stir in the cooked kale and heat on low for about 5 minutes.
Transfer the mixture into a serving bowl, creating a well in the center for the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Please feel free to reduce the amount of butter used, but all the traditional recipes call for a big gob melting on top. Serves 8 as a side dish.
Kale with Bacon and Pecans
While colcannon may arguably be an Irish national dish, Italian cooks turn out inspired versions as well. Braising the leafy greens is a common method of cooking, and the following recipe is my version of a dish found in Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen by Lidia Bastianich.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound kale, sliced and ribs removed
4 whole garlic cloves, peeled
4 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
¼ cup toasted pecans, chopped
Salt and crushed red pepper to taste
Heat oil in a wide heavy skillet over medium heat. Stir in the bacon. Press down on the garlic cloves with the side of a knife to release the flavor and aroma, leaving them whole. Toss them into the skillet. Cook until all begins to turn golden, 3–4 minutes.
Take a handful of kale and stir into the skillet with the bacon, stirring and adding more kale as it wilts. When all the kale is in the pan, add salt and red pepper.
Cover the skillet, turn heat to low, and simmer about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a little water if the kale starts to stick.
Taste for seasoning, toss in the pecans, and serve immediately. Adding a chopped hard-boiled egg turns this into a small meal. Serves 6.
Kale for Health and Beauty
Kale is the darling of the superfoods, and it is no exaggeration to say that it is a nutritional powerhouse. It is rich in beta-
carotene and vitamins A, C, and K as well as the minerals iron, calcium, manganese, and potassium. It provides a good balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and contains carotenoid compounds called lutein and zeaxanthin, which may play an important role in preventing macular degeneration. Healthy food makes for beauty from within—kale and pineapple juice smoothies all around!
But what about using kale externally? All the antioxidant vitamins, along with chlorophyll and omega fatty acids, make kale a cool, refreshing, anti-inflammatory face mask, an especially good choice for acne flare-ups.
Kale Face Mask
3–4 kale leaves, ribs removed
1 tablespoon yogurt
1 tablespoon honey
Using a food processor or a blender, process the kale leaves, yogurt, and honey until smooth. You can adjust viscosity by adding another leaf if too thin or more yogurt if too thick.
To use, apply the mask to face and neck. Relax for about 10 minutes and then rinse in warm water. Pat dry.
Make Friends with Kale
I hope the information I have provided here will inspire you to experiment with eating kale, not only for its healthful benefits, but also because it tastes good. It is an attractive plant in the garden and is sort of like growing a little piece of history. It will be probably the only fresh vegetable you’ll be able to pick for your new Halloween colcannon tradition, and that really is something.
Resources
Bastianich, Lidia. Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen. New York: Knopf, 2002.
“Colcannon.” Merriam-Webster.com. Accessed January 24, 2018. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/colcannon.
Davidson, Alan. The Oxford Companion to Food. 3rd ed. Edited by Tom Jaine. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2014.