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Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: tim on March 22, 2008, 09:28:23

Title: Kale
Post by: tim on March 22, 2008, 09:28:23
Nero may be great, but Red Russian has to be the tastiest one for salads that I have come across.

Title: Re: Kale
Post by: Pickle on March 22, 2008, 10:40:36
 Never tried it Tim ,so on your recommendation I'll try some of the red Russian,
got to try something new once in a while :D

   Pickle ;D
Title: Re: Kale
Post by: Rhubarb Thrasher on March 22, 2008, 13:20:47
Kale is such an under-rated veg. I think it's blooming wonderful, and so trouble free too
Title: Re: Kale
Post by: Teena on March 22, 2008, 13:36:26
I agree its under rated  we grew some last year only 1 row  'dwarf curly' but we've had so much off them.
theres some in the freezer and the veg rack and we must have given at least a dozen carrier bags full of it away. I was surprised at how many others didnt know what it was or how to cook it.
My hubby wasnt to sure when i first suggested it but i can remember it on my grandads allot when i was about 10 and we always took some home for dinner.
Definately growing some more ths year. :)
Title: Re: Kale
Post by: debster on March 22, 2008, 13:53:33
i grew curly kale and what has surprised me is how much you get and how long the crop goes on for i harvested, blanched and froze loads the other day, its been growing for months  ;D
Title: Re: Kale
Post by: froglets on March 22, 2008, 14:18:13
Hi Tim,

Can't say I rate Nero, the heads I tried weren't "green" enough tasting for me.  I'm trying red Russian for the first time this year so looking forward to it even more since you reccommend it.
Title: Re: Kale
Post by: redimp on March 22, 2008, 15:21:38
I grow red ruissian, cavalo nero and dwarf curly.  Makes a wonderful mix for dinner.  I love kale and really agree that it is an underrated vegetable.  The red russian would look at home in a decorative border too.
Title: Re: Kale
Post by: calendula on March 22, 2008, 16:00:15
the variety Redbor is also worth trying, it is a wonderful colour, dark purple and very curly - i grow as many as possible and am still picking last years, that's how long they will last and together the colours are wonderful  :)
Title: Re: Kale
Post by: barkingdog on March 22, 2008, 19:13:13
I love it too. Last year I grew Redbor and Red Russian both of which were brilliant. This year I've grown Nero but I've found that it has now gone to flower and is very bitter  :P

I have some seeds for dwarf green so maybe I'll give that a go this year!

barkingdog
Title: Re: Kale
Post by: Mrs Ava on March 22, 2008, 22:42:15
I always mix Red Russian in with my loose leaf salad mixes as it is a fab young leaf - I never grow it to cook, I leave that for the more robost kales.
Title: Re: Kale
Post by: otto_nowak on March 22, 2008, 23:49:33
is it just the youngest leaves you can eat raw?
Title: Re: Kale
Post by: silverbirch on March 23, 2008, 11:02:04
I like Nero as well, it's good and reliable (though the hares and deer took a liking to it this year).  I find it has to be quite finely shredded for cooking though, and it doesn't take to steaming.
One of the best bits is to let it flower, then treat it like a sprouting broccoli.

Green kale is always good, and I'm trying the red for the first time for next winter.
Title: Re: Kale
Post by: sawfish on March 23, 2008, 17:52:27
I love my Sutherland Kale from Realseeds
Title: Re: Kale
Post by: star on March 23, 2008, 20:02:32
Im trying Sutherland for the first time Sawfish, they gave it a very good recomendation in the catalogue. Im looking forward to it. One question. Because its an old variety, does it get bigger than the newer ones? What spacing do you give it?
Title: Re: Kale
Post by: sawfish on March 23, 2008, 20:14:19
I gave it 18 inches and it doesn't grow too big. The leaves are finer than normal Kale.
Title: Re: Kale
Post by: Mrs Ava on March 23, 2008, 22:24:21
I use it as a cut and come again type salad leaf, so yes, it tends to only be young leaves, however, I am a bit of a greens lover and do eat the larger leaves raw if shredded.
Title: Re: Kale
Post by: star on March 23, 2008, 22:37:41
Excellent, thank you :D