Overwintered Kale

[roony]

I've only been growing Kale for 4 or 5 years so I don't know how uncommon this is. Last fall the deer ate all the leafy greens off of it and just left stubs. I was looking at it today and noticed that there are leaves growing out of those stubs, so apparently it survived this mild winter we had..\

Edited April 3, 2016 by roony

[Dotch]

 

Interesting. We've grown the stuff for years, both the flowering and otherwise. Never recall seeing it make it through a winter, yet. Should probably check more closely though now you mention it. Both the flowering kale and flowering cabbage were still pretty lively looking until well into February and spent much of the winter partially covered with snow. I've been much more interested in the rhubarb in the same plot however. A kale pie? I think not. 

 

[delcecchi]

I have had sage, planted in a big pot, survive the winter some years.  I was surprised. 

[Dotch]

'fraid mine are pretty much mush after checking them over bottle feeding hour. 

[smurfy]

odd this got brought up. I have seen more and more lately in articles etc that kale is this super duper all purpose miricale plant that fixes almost all that ails yea!!!!!!!! so how does one cook or prepare it? how does it taste???

[roony]

We have it two different ways. The healthy way is to have it in with our salads. The unhealthy way is to drizzle some oil and season it and bake it in the oven and make what is called kale chips. I eat it both ways but it tastes better to me when you bake a lot of the goodness out of it. 

[Early Riser]

I use it in sauces, including spaghetti sauce, lasagna, soups, salads, sandwiches, stir fry, mixed with fried potatoes and onions, in a breakfast hash with venison sausage, taters, onion, and cooked up in a pan with eggs, mixed veggies and cheese, and thats about it (in other words you can substitute kale for shrimp a la Bubba from Forest Gump). 

We really love the stuff, and it has become a staple in our household. I really miss it at the end of season. I have not attempted any way to save it. I suppose I could blanch it and freeze it, or dry it. 

It is still producing in my garden well into November.   I haven't tried cutting it off and leaving it in the ground. It probably would go to seed that second year so I might have to try that. 

 

[roony]

Come to think of it I think the warden put it in some stir fry and some sandwiches too. She really digs the stuff. 

[leechlake]

55 minutes ago, smurfy said:

odd this got brought up. I have seen more and more lately in articles etc that kale is this super duper all purpose miricale plant that fixes almost all that ails yea!!!!!!!! so how does one cook or prepare it? how does it taste???

my wife puts in on a cookie sheet and sprays pam on it and some salt and bakes it.  She calls it Kale Chips. They actually are pretty good.  I would add some bacon and cheese but that's why she's skinnier than me.

[smurfy]

3 hours ago, roony said:

Come to think of it I think the warden put it in some stir fry and some sandwiches too. She really digs the stuff. 

The warden!!!

Might have to get me some and try it. Maybe even grow some!

[leech~~]

Kale, is that the odd curly green leaf thingy they put on my plate at restaurants next to the orange slice that both get picked off and thrown before the orange seeps into my steak?

[delcecchi]

Since we are talking about eating kale, I happened to come across this recipe

Suzanne Goin's Slow-Cooked Cavolo Nero (a.k.a. Tuscan Kale)

Author Notes: You may have eaten your weigh in kale in the past few years (or few days), but you haven't had kale like this. It's the perfect antidote, the next time you have raw greens fatigue. It might be the only way you want to eat kale ever again.

Bon Appétit originally published this recipe as a base to go into stuffing, though it seems most people never make it there. Sara Forte at Sprouted Kitchen uses it as an omelette filling with goat cheese and Alexandra Stafford stretches it with breadcrumbs, pancetta, and a poached egg. Here, I served it with soba noodles and a medium-cooked egg. Adapted slightly from The A.O.C. Cookbook (Knopf, 2013). (less) —Genius Recipes

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

• 1 pound cavolo nero (Tuscan kale, about 4 small bunches), cleaned, center ribs removed
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small sprig rosemary
• 2 chiles de árbol, broken into large pieces
• 1 cup sliced onion
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat. Working in batches, blanch the cavolo nero in the rapidly boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain, let cool, and squeeze out excess water with your hands.
2. Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat for 2 minutes. Pour in 1/4 cup oil, and add the rosemary sprig and the chile. Let them sizzle in the oil for about a minute. Turn the heat down to medium-low, and add the sliced onion. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a pinch of freshly ground black pepper. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring often, and stir in the sliced garlic. Continue cooking for another 5 to 7 minutes, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until onion is soft and starting to color.
3. Add the cavolo nero and the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, stirring to coat the greens with the oil and onion. Season with a heaping 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cook the greens slowly over low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring often, until they turn a dark, almost black color and get slightly crispy on the edges. Remove rosemary and chile before serving.

• This recipe is a Community Pick!

 

[Dotch]

Update: After looking at last year's flowering kale again last night, I discovered some new growth shooting out the side of the stem on about 5 of the plants. Some of them are indeed toast but was interested to see some were indeed still alive. Whether or not Mrs.Cheviot will let me keep a few to see what happens remains to be seen. She finally killed my Tumbling Tom tomato by not watering it. It probably would've made it otherwise.

[smurfy]

21 hours ago, Dotch said:

Update: After looking at last year's flowering kale again last night, I discovered some new growth shooting out the side of the stem on about 5 of the plants. Some of them are indeed toast but was interested to see they were indeed still alive. Whether or not Mrs.Cheviot will let me keep a few to see what happens remains to be seen. She finally killed my Tumbling Tom tomato by not watering it. It probably would've made it otherwise.

i'd cut her off......play hard to get for punishment!!!!!!!!!!!

[Dotch]

Exactly. Why mess with success? 

[roony]

The bunny thinks the over wintered Kale is tasty.

[roony]

Some small tender kale leaves to have in our salads tonight.

[delcecchi]

mmmmmmmmmm kale....

[smurfy]

On 4/16/2016 at 8:19 AM, roony said:

The bunny thinks the over wintered Kale is tasty.

Spray fox pee around the area!

[delcecchi]

Hassenpfeffer.

[roony]

3 hours ago, delcecchi said:

mmmmmmmmmm kale....

The warden says if I eat healthy I won't have to go to the chiropractor so often.  

[delcecchi]

That's good, he might mess up your subluxations and you would be on the disabled list for the season. 

[Dotch]

Mrs. Cheviot told me if I like my overwintering kale, I can keep it. 

[smurfy]

OK fellers, with this kale supposing to cure everything that ails ya, and apparently doesnt taste all the bad, especially mixed with other things I have kinda decided to take an adventure into the unkown.

so to start with how do you recommend planting it? does it come in a packet in seed form? is it good all summer? I take it its ready for harvest about the same time as lettuce and spinach? or get as a plant like maters and such! curious minds wanna know!

[roony]

7 hours ago, smurfy said:

OK fellers, with this kale supposing to cure everything that ails ya, and apparently doesnt taste all the bad, especially mixed with other things I have kinda decided to take an adventure into the unkown.

so to start with how do you recommend planting it? does it come in a packet in seed form? is it good all summer? I take it its ready for harvest about the same time as lettuce and spinach? or get as a plant like maters and such! curious minds wanna know!

Hey Smurfy. I plant it about the same as I would lettuce or spinach. I think it is best early in the season but we use it all season long. It gets a little taller than the lettuce but nuttin' like tomatoes. It's got a bit of a bitter taste but a little mixed in a lettuce salad is good. Kale chips are good but I think you mainly are tasting the seasoning.