Mark Diacono
LATIN NAME
Brassica oleracea var. acephala
ALSO KNOWN AS
Borecole
SEASONALITY
June–February
MORE RECIPES
Swede with orecchiette; Steamed sea bass with kale and ginger; Roasted haggis, swede and kale salad; Tongue, kale and apple hash with horseradish; Sausages with squash and kale
Kale comes to us in a variety of guises with leaves that can be almost any combination of wrinkled, ruched and frilled. The ubiquitous green curly kale, with its foppish ruffles, is only one form. Kale leaves may be darkest bottle green and quill-shaped, as with the fantastic, robust cavolo nero, or ragged-edged and purple-stemmed like ‘Red Russian’. Any can be simply steamed or boiled and served on the side, but kale can do so much more.
In season in all but March, April and May (and even this gap is filled if you grow perennial varieties), kale lends itself to recipes throughout the year. Use the leaves when they are young and tender: in raw spring salads; blitzed into summer fruit smoothies; shredded and cooked in olive oil with lemon zest and chilli for an autumn pasta sauce; or baked in a gratin with Jerusalem artichokes in the heart of winter.
Of course, there are many other possibilities. For delectable ‘kale crisps’, toss the torn-up leaves with olive oil and salt, then spread out on a baking tray and roast at 120°C/Fan 100°C/Gas ½ for 25 minutes, turning once or twice. Or shred the leaves and stir-fry with soy, ginger and garlic; or bake in a tart with Jerusalem artichokes.
Unless the plant is very young and tender, remove the tough central stalks from kale leaves before cooking (those supermarket bags of ready-sliced kale are useless because of all the fibrous chopped-up stalk included in the mix). Then all you have to do is not overcook it. A few minutes of simmering, steaming or frying is all it needs.
If you have the space to grow a few kale plants, do so. As good as shop-bought kale can be, you’ll have access to far more variety from your garden – and you’ll be able to harvest them at any stage of maturity. Red Russian’s early green-with-purple-tinged leaves are sweet and delicate enough to enjoy raw, becoming deeply flavoured as the cold toughens their texture. ‘Pentland Brig’ produces mild, gently curled leaves in the winter and tasty side shoots in the following spring. And ‘Redbor’, with its dark purple leaves, is as ornamental as it is delicious.
There are even a few perennial kales that grow all year round. ‘Sutherland’ kale is my favourite; no matter what time of year I tear the leaves off, they are sweet and tender straight from the plant.
RAW KALE WITH YOGHURT AND TAHINI
This is a lovely way to eat raw kale: the leaves are ‘massaged’ with the dressing so they soften and wilt, while still retaining their raw character. Serves 4 as a side dish
300g bunch of kale (any variety)
FOR THE DRESSING
Juice of ½ lemon
1 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp plain wholemilk yoghurt
2 tbsp extra virgin olive or rapeseed oil
2 tsp clear honey
A scrap of garlic (about ¼ clove), crushed or finely grated
Sea salt and black pepper
Remove the stalks from the kale leaves and tear the leaves into pieces. Wash and spin-dry the kale leaves or pat dry with a clean tea towel, then put them into a large bowl.
To make the dressing, lightly whisk all the ingredients together to combine thoroughly, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
Pour the dressing over the raw kale, then massage the dressing into the leaves with your hands, crushing, rubbing and squeezing the leaves so that they darken, soften and wilt. Keep going for 3–4 minutes until the kale is reduced to about half its former volume. Taste and add more salt, pepper or lemon juice if needed.
You can serve the kale straight away or leave it to relax and develop in flavour for a few hours. Either way, it’s delicious with some hummus or a beany salad.
