Cooking Local: Curly Kale

Spring Kale II – Curly Kale version

Text and photos by Greta Hardin

If you went out and tried (and enjoyed) the smooth Lacinato/black kale of the last installment, you are ready for the advanced division. 

I will reiterate, kale’s thick leaves and waxy coating make it a super over-winter vegetable (it can sometimes have a tough time in the summer – but who cares?) so it is a good one for spring. And with the fickleness of Northwest springs, you may yet need a little hearty, warm food for getting through one more rainy day.

Unless you are a hardcore veg-head who is really into character building produce interactions, I see no reason in the world to eat curly kale raw, or even undercooked. It is prickly and generally unenjoyable.

Raw kale for the hardcore veg-head

However, with the right amount of heat and time, curly kale can become crispy and savory or soft, hearty and flavorful. How? Two classic approaches; kale chips and braised kale.

Kale chips first. They are faster – and for some people, the current thing that is better than sliced bread.

I’ll attack the braised kale second. This takes a bit longer – but is really the root way kale has been prepared and consumed most of its humble life as a food crop. And really do take the whole time to braise it completely. Otherwise you will be left with a dish that leaves you scratching your head and wondering, “Why would anyone eat this?”

Stemmed curly kale

Whatever you do – strip the kale off the thick part of the stem. I know pre-chopped kale comes with the stems right in there – well that’s the big reason to tackle the whole leaves right there.

Kale Chips

Ingredients:

Kale (curly)

Salt

Oil (nothing fancy)

Equipment:

Salad spinner / kitchen towels

Baking sheet / Cookie sheet

Prep:

1. Pull the kale off the stems (hold firmly at the thick end with one hand and strip the leaf off the stem with the other.) 
2. Give the leaves a good bath, the spin dry/pat dry. 
3. Tear the leaves into hand-sized pieces.

(You can wrap the leaves in a barely damp towel, pop them in a loosely closed produce bag and refrigerate them for up to 5 days).

Cook:

Preheat the oven to 425F.

Place the torn leaves on the baking sheet, sprinkle with a little oil and salt. Toss with clean hands.

Kale chips - your choice of seasonings

Place the baking sheet in the oven for about 8 minutes. When the kale is crispy you are done. You can change up the seasoning, so it can accompany just about any meal that needs a little boost. Or just crunch them for snack.

Kale chips on soup

I like to eat mine on a fast and tasty Chick Pea Soup that I found here, in Bon Appétit. The original recipe calls for broccoli, but I like this better.

Braised Kale – Take Your Time

(So start this part first – then worry about the rest of the meal)

Ingredients:

Kale (curly) – 1 bunch

Salt – 1 tsp

Oil (nothing fancy) – 2 tsp

Garlic – 2 – 4 cloves (your taste)

Chicken broth/stock or water – 1 C

Water

Equipment:

Salad spinner / kitchen towels

Knife

Cutting board

Large heavy pot with a tight fitting lid

Prep:

1. Pull the kale off the stems (hold firmly at the thick end with one hand and strip the leaf off the stem with the other.) 
2. Give the leaves a good bath, the spin dry/pat dry. 
3. Stack the leaves and slice them into pieces no more than an inch wide.
4. Smash the garlic, and roughly chop it.

Cook:

1. Add the oil to the heavy pot. Turn the heat to about medium. Add a piece of garlic. When it starts bubbling or sizzling add the rest of the garlic, and stir until it starts to turn light brown. 
2. Add the sliced kale, stir to coat with the oil, and wilt it a bit.
3. Add the first cup of chicken stock/water liquid, clap on the lid, and let it cook for 10 minutes.
4. Open the lid, check to see if there is still a layer of liquid on the bottom. If things are looking a little dry, add another ½ cup of liquid. Let the kale cook for another 10 minutes.

Now you can check to see if it is getting tender. Test a piece. Is it tasty and not too chewy? If so, it is ready to go. If it need a little more time to cook under the medium heat and stem bath, give it a bit more time. Kale – and especially the curly stuff is a tough cookie. It won’t turn into green slime anytime soon the way spinach can. A nice braise for a half an hour or longer is fine with the kale. Just make sure the pan doesn’t dry out.

Experiment with a little bacon in the initial garlic fry – and maybe a little apple cider in with the liquid. This is a dish with a million variations. Just be sure to cook the kale long enough to get its best flavor and texture. I cooked up this batch with some thinly sliced potatoes. 

Cooked kale with potatoes

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Starting Saturday Jun 14th - October 4th

The Shoreline Farmers Market will be at Shoreline City Hall

Top level of the Parking Structure (Free Parking underneath)

17500 Midvale Ave N, Shoreline

Starting Sunday May 11th - October 26th

The Lake Forest Park Farmers Market will be at Third Place Commons

Lower Level Parking Lot (Free Parking in surrounding spots)

17171 Bothell Way NE, Lake Forest Park

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Greta Hardin is a science teacher, food nerd, and the author of Cooking Your Local Produce: A cookbook for tackling Farmers Markets, CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) and your own back yard.