The family brassica has a shocking number of members. Many of the major players, including kale, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and even kohlrabi, are cultivars of just one species (like how canis familiaris somehow includes pomeranians, beagles, and huskies). We can’t wait until July to eat all our greens, so the descendants of wild mustard are going to help us out.
Kale has the broadest availability of all its siblings. Here in the PNW, we can harvest it almost three quarters of the year. Kale’s ability to handle frost is astonishing. I’ve seen a field of kale frozen in the morning and reinvigorated by the sun that same afternoon. We can even harvest each plant multiple times.
Kale is also difficult. It’s leafy, so we’re tempted to treat it like lettuce. It’s not. Summer lettuce is delicate and tender. It requires almost nothing to become a delicious salad: olive oil, some salt, a splash of vinegar, and you’re done. Kale’s hardiness also makes it a little tough. It requires a firmer approach.
For a raw salad, either soften the kale first or pair it with a strong dressing (or both). Massage it with citrus and salt, let it sit in the fridge for an hour, and then make the salad. Strong dressings like caesar or green goddess work well. Think anchovies, fish sauce, cheese, bold vinegars, nuts, dried fruit. Think briny, salty, umami. Kale caesar with homemade breadcrumbs is one of our go-tos.
Kale really shines when it’s cooked. That same toughness keeps it from falling apart under heat. Countless stews are hungry for a leaf that won’t collapse into nothing the moment it hits the broth. Italian Wedding Soup normally calls for spinach, but we love it with kale. Or, toss it in the frying pan. Add kale to your next stir fry or scramble.
Kale is your friend. If you haven’t introduced yourself already, now is the time.
We’re glad you’re cooking with us.
Cheers,
Sten and Mac
chef snacks
Cooking tip
Liquid sugar. Liquid sugars are great for making salad dressings. Granulated sugar works, but dissolving it takes a helluva lot of whisking. Honey and maple syrup are wonderful, but consider agave or brown rice syrup for a less prominent (more cost effective) flavor. Speaking of cheap, there’s nothing wrong with simple syrup (1:1 → hot water : sugar).
Liquid salts are helpful for the same reason: easier to mix. Mac and I love shio koji (functionally it’s a clear soy sauce) and fish sauce.
Join us next week for a deeper dive into salad dressings: to emulsify, or not to emulsify.
Purveyor spotlight
The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago…and right now. There has never been a better time to buy from your local farms. CSAs, farmer’s markets, and farmstands are great, but if you don’t have time, check the tags in your nearest produce department. Grocery stores like to buy from local farms if they can provide sufficient scale.
Our friends at Boldy Grown Farm up in Skagit Valley are a winter-focused, 30-acre organic vegetable farm. They sell their delicious kale, cabbage, squash, and roots to stores like Hagen and PCC. They have a great winter CSA, and if you’re taking a scenic drive through Skagit for the Tulip Festival, their farmstand is cute as hell.
A quick kale salad recipe
Remove the bottom few inches of the stems from one bunch of kale - they tend to be too fibrous. Chop the kale into bite-sized pieces and rinse thoroughly under a few changes of cold water (bugs love kale too). Spin dry in a salad spinner.
I usually like to make my dressing in the same bowl that I toss the salad in to save a dish. In a medium mixing bowl whisk together a spoonful of tahini, the zest and juice of one lemon, a finely grated garlic clove, and a little drizzle of maple syrup. Whisk in a little water until the dressing is a creamy consistency. Season with salt and black pepper. Add the kale to the bowl and really massage the dressing into the kale with your hands. Let the salad sit for 5 minutes and taste for seasoning.
The salad can be enjoyed as is or could be doctored up with all sorts of other fun things: fresh herbs, chopped nuts, shaved fennel, pickled chilis, crumbled feta. Go wild. Kale’s sturdiness means that this salad will keep great for several days in the fridge.
