General Information
The standard Kale variety we usually find in the grocery store is a curled green variety. It is hardy and fibrous when fully mature, yet tender enough to be used as a raw salad green when young. The pale green stems are tough and should be removed, while the tightly curled leaves are chewy yet succulent. Kale has a earthy flavor with a nutty sweetness that is accentuated when cooked.
An excellent source of vitamin C, Kale provides iron, vitamin A, calcium, magnesium, potassium, protein, carbohydrates and dietary fiber. One half cup of chopped boiled Kale contains about 18 calories. Eat with fish, poultry and meats to enhance iron absorption.
History
One of the oldest forms of cabbage and native to the eastern Mediterranean, researchers believe ancient Kale, Brassica oleracea, may have been grown as a food crop as early as 2000 B. C. Sometimes grown from transplants, Kale can also be seeded and although indifferent to soil conditions, it does best in loamy well-drained heavy type soils. Commercial Kale crops are harvested between forty and fifty-five days after planting with new plantings every two weeks in order to provide year round supplies. A cool weather annual, Kale’s cold-hardy personality makes its flavor even sweeter after a light frost.
