Recipes for Kale

[gecko]

About the only thing left in the garden now is kale (redbor, dwarf green and black).

Any good suggestions for using it??

I've always either steamed it or stir fried with ginger - looking for other ideas though!

Thanks in advance

[gecko]

[Barnowl]

This looks interesting.....

Kale Pesto Pasta

The garlic helps reduce the bitterness of the kale and the pine nuts add a sweet, nutty flavour.
   
Ingredients
Serves 4 as a light lunch

Pasta for 4 people
200g kale (curly or Russian - either are ok. If you don't have kale, you can substitue spinach, chard or black nero cabbage)
2 cloves garlic, peeled & crushed
handful pine nuts
3 tablespoons double cream
30g parmesan, grated (optional)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg (optional)
Pinch of salt

Method

   1. Heat the oil in a pan and gently saute the garlic for 2 minutes.

   2. Wash the kale well and chop roughly. Add to the garlic pan. Cover and cook for 2 minutes, until the kale starts to wilt.

   3. Put the pine nuts in a food processor / blender and blitz until smooth. Add the double cream and nutmeg, if using. Blitz again.

   4. Add the kale and garlic. Process until smooth. Season with the salt and grated parmesan (if using). Mix well.

   5. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. Drain well.

   6. Add the kale pesto to the pasta in the pan and mix well.

   7. Serve warm.

[Barnowl]

I also like it with pancetta, or in my case thick cut smoked streaky bacon (which is cheaper!)

[tim]

Barny - NOT knocking your post.  But I love the 'handful of Pine Nuts' - that's over £1!!  And Parmesan & Cream??
We're trying to use a bog standard cheapo from the winter garden?
Anything would taste good with that treatment?

Gecko - try http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/joomla/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,72/action,search2

[triffid]

Coconut Chilli Greens

This is one of my faves -- based on a Bengali recipe. You can use it as a spicy side dish or turn it into a bigger feast with rice and dhal.

And it does use lots of greenery!  ;D


2 tbs of veg oil or ghee (clarified butter)
1 onion, sliced finely
salt and fresh black pepper
1 tsb black mustard seeds
1 or 2 fresh green chillis, de-seeded and chopped finely (depending on the chilli and your taste for heat!)
600g shredded curly kale (spring greens or savoy cabbage also work well)
200ml coconut cream

Heat half the oil/ghee in a small pan and gently fry the onion until it caramelises.
Sprinkle the mustard seeds over this, together with a pinch of salt and fry until the mustard seeds crackle and release their aroma. Take the pan off the heat but keep it warm.

Heat the remaining oil/ghee gently in a large pan.
Fry the chilli gently for a few moments, then add the greens.
Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until the leaves wilt, stirring occasionally.
Add the coconut cream and simmer for a few minutes until the greens have taken up most of the liquid and it's all piping hot.

Heap the greens onto a serving dish and top them with the onion/mustard seed mix.

[Barnowl]

Fair comment, Tim, but I likes my little luxuries from time to time. :)

Leaving the office now. Only got a very unreliable dial up at home so probably out of touch till the New Year.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to one and all.

[Rosyred]

Kale soup by Gillian McKeith

Serves 4

1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion sliced
1 garlic clove crushed
2 turnips chopped
vegetable stock cubes x 2
2 courgettes sliced
200g kale
1 handful chopped dill

gently fry onion and garlic do not brown, add turnips cook for 3 mins.
add 750ml water with stock cubes simmer for 10 mins#
add courgettes & kale simmer for 5 mins
allow to cool and blend. serve garnished with dill.

Gillian says" Kale is a good source of vit c, also magnesuim to help migraine suffers. Soup is good if you feel tired, irritable, constipated or crave sweet things.

When I made this soup I didn't have turnips or courgettes or dill so I used what I had. Recipes are only a guide, do it to your taste and what you have available. Hopes it helps anyway.

[euronerd]

In the past for a snack, I've put chopped kale in potato cakes. Just wilt it, chop it and add to mashed spud, then shape and fry them as normal. It does need something herby or spicy to liven it up a bit though. I don't tend to follow set recipes and just raid my herb/spice cupboard. They go very well with things like bacon chops or some other form of cured pig, and parsley sauce.

Geoff.

[tim]

You could also use it instead of Spinach in Riceburgers.

[Moggle]

I sometimes add Kale to my ribbolita/minestrone-type soup.

The general recipe is:

1 diced leek
2-4 diced carrots
1 med diced spud
1 tin tomatoes
greens (kale, cabbage, cavolo nero etc)
Stock
Cannellini beans (or chickpeas, and/or small pasta shapes)

Soften leek in a bit of butter/oil, add carrot, and after around 5 minutes potato. Cook another minute then add toms and stock. Bring to boil, then add shredded greens and pulses. Simmer for 20-30 minutes.

[okra]

some lovely ideas - will have to give the soups a try.

[cambourne7]

Hi

There seams to be a geographical issue with Colcannon.

In england they use cabbage where as in Ireland we use Kale

SO make some mash potato and add some steamed ( or boiled in the water you boiled the ham in yum yum ) and shread and add to the mash at the last min with some grated or finly chopped white onion.

You cant beat it and it buts the cabbage version to shame!

Cambourne7

[Obelixx]

See here - http://fooddownunder.com/cgi-bin/search.cgi?q=kale Loads of kale recipes and you can search for recipes for other veggies in season throughout the year.

[flossie]

Just read this thread and am now resolved to grow much more Kale - all different sorts - next year.
Thanks for asking the question :)

[artichoke]

Me too, I've taken them down. I have some cavalo nero but not nearly enough of the other forms.