This is something that many cooks of all levels of experience ask themselves, but if you do a little bit of investigation, you’ll find that there are plenty of things that you can do with this highly versatile leafy green. When you eat kale, you are in good company.
Kale was the most common green vegetable in Europe until the 1600s, and even before that, we have had evidence of the cultivation of Kale going back to the fourth century BC in Greece. Kale was a favorite addition to the British Victory Gardens of World War II, and today, people are finding more reasons than ever to add it to their diets.
Have you ever been away for a few days and returned home to find a pile of soggy, brown mush in your refrigerator, which were green vegetables a few days earlier? Kale freezes well so if you do not want to use it immediately you will not have this problem. It actually tastes sweeter after being exposed to a frost. If you are using fresh kale, especially the tender young shoots, you can add them to a salad. You might also like to add strong peppers, peanuts and roasted nuts to emphasize the strong, smoky flavor of the kale.
Kale is a green that is eaten around the world, and there are plenty of recipes to choose from. If you like cooked vegetables over raw ones, take a look at the kale recipes from the southern half of Africa, where kale is typically boiled with coconut milk and ground up or powdered peanut before being served on top of rice or a variety of flat breads. This is a great way to enjoy some extremely tasty vegetarian food, if you are looking to cut back on the meat in your diet.
Kale is often combined with ground or sliced meat, such as ground beef or spicy sausage, in Europe. It is usually combined with broth, olive oil, and potatoes to complement the meat. This means the meat will not obscure the taste of the greens because kale is quite a strong and tasty vegetable and can easily stand up to the meat flavor. It is nice chopped up and used as a stir-fry ingredient. This type of dish is made in many different countries.
You might like to add some Japanese shiitake mushrooms if you are creating a kale stir-fry. Take off the kale stems and slice the leaves into large pieces. Heat some oil in a wok or frying pan and fry the garlic, mushrooms, and anything else you add on a low to medium heat. When the ingredients are tender, add the kale and any seasonings you want, such as pepper, sesame oil, and soy sauce. This tasty dish takes just minutes to make.
Kale is very underrated but you can see now that it can be used in many different recipes. So why not buy some kale the next time you shop for vegetables and discover its unique taste for yourself!
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