Kale, just got a huge bag from the neighbors.

[Ruby Reason]

The bunny and one or two others in our family will eat it raw, but not a lot at a time. Our neighbor suggested lightly steamed with some garlic and I believe she said something about butter and lemon.

Still, we have an overabundance of asparagus and they of kale. We seem to have set up a trade system. I'm looking for lots of good kale recipes. When I asked for asparagus recipes I got so many we are still working on them. Super delicious!

I hope everyone will throw in their 2 cents about the kale also!

Thank you.

[friendly_iconoclast]

1. Google "kale soup" (vegan or non-vegan). It's delicious.

A friend who is of Portuguese extraction made it with potatoes for a Thanksgiving dinner, and it was NOM NOM NOM!

[Vanje]

14. Kale is a natural in stews and soups with barley

Mmmmm. Robust eat'n

[Gormy Cuss]

16. Caldo verde is the name of it. n/t

[NRaleighLiberal]

2. I will have to find my wife's recipe - sauteed Kale (or collards) with sesame oil,

hot pepper flakes, ginger, olive oil and garlic - wonderful bed for shrimp or fish.

She also has a great recipe that uses Kale, Chickpeas, potatoes, tomatoes, sweet peppers, garlic, ginger, hot pepper flakes, olive oil.

I will try to hunt them down!

[Ruby Reason]

9. Thanks, family recipes tend to have stood the test of time!

[Phentex]

12. reminds me of the recent greens stir fry recipe...

which was very good! I'm thinking the kale could be good this way as well.

[cbayer]

3. I must be doing it wrong, but I have never been able to get kale to

a consistency that I find appetizing. Interested to see what others offer up here.

[Warpy]

4. Try crunchy kale

Stem and chop kale, put it onto a cookie sheet in a slow (150-200F) oven and leave it there for 30-45 minutes. Seal in a clean dry jar and refrigerate for up to two weeks.

It's good on salads, baked potatoes, and in mashed potatoes. I even like it out of hand.

[elleng]

5. I think I recall seeing something about people liking it as a chip-alternative,

like your crunchy out of hand.

[cbayer]

6. So is it crumbly when you do this - like a potato chip?

[Warpy]

8. Much more crumbly than that

It's more the texture of dried parsley although with larger pieces.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

7. love kale chips

they go so quickly

[MelissaB]

21. I've been meaning to try those.

[Ruby Reason]

10. Already there are great ideas.

I may try the crunchy stuff first as I have a house full of young adults to please. But by the time I try the soups and other ideas I'll be asking our neighbor for more I bet.
Thank you.

[The empressof all]

11. I throw kale into Saag

I would combine it with spinach though to mellow the flavors. The nice thing about saag is that it freezes well so I usually make a huge stock pot full and freeze for the month.

Here's a terrific recipe and you don't need to worry about getting all the spices right....it's very forgiving. I find that I can pretty much get away with just fresh ginger (which isn't in the recipe as written but I like), garlic and cumin....and of course chili.....In a pinch you can use the dried hot red pepper to taste. I use just a tablespoon of grapeseed oil rather than butter...but I tend to go really low fat. It doesn't compromise the flavor at all.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/indian-saag/

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
2 teaspoons cumin seed
1 green chile pepper, seeded and diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons ground turmeric
1 pound chopped fresh mustard greens
1 pound chopped fresh spinach
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon salt....

[GoCubsGo]

13. Here are some more....

Penne with Goat Cheese, Kale, Olives and Turkey--It's one of my favorite kale recipes. You can make it vegetarian by leaving out the turkey. Or, you can use chicken instead. It's a Martha Stewart recipe, and she has several other kale recipes that you easily find with her "search".

Pasta with Garlic, Chickpeas and Braised Kale--My other favorite kale recipe.

Kale Pesto--I've never tried this one, but I'll bet it's good. I suspect it freezes well, too.

I also like to saute kale in olive oil with some garlic and a little salt and pepper. I squeeze in some lemon, if I have any on hand. Or, you can add some pancetta or regular bacon.

And, count me among the kale chips fans.

[kestrel91316]

15. Blanch and freeze. Use later in Tuscan kale soup or

some Portuguese concoction.

[noamnety]

17. Okay folks, what about kale pods?

I have a couple plants from last year that went to seed. I tend to gorge myself on radish pods all summer ... love them more than the traditional radish root. But what about kale pods? Does anyone eat them?

[HopeHoops]

18. Somebody posted a recipe for kale pesto in this group. I couldn't find it right away, but it's here

[Ruby Reason]

19. So far...

we've tried it steamed (yummy), the crunchy kale chips (yummy, although I over salted the first batch), and the kale pesto (yummy). The pesto I called "rustic" because the food processor was not working so my daughter and I had to chop it all by hand. However, it made fantastic bruchetta, thumbs up from everyone. May try it with cooked pasta tonight (we made plenty, couple of hours chopping it

Can't wait to try some more ideas. Thank you.

[MelissaB]

20. Southern Beans and Greens

I just made this again yesterday.

Southern Beans and Greens
Makes 4 servings
This traditional Southern combination creates a beautiful dish with a heavenly blend of flavors and a surprisingly meaty texture. Serve it with rice or another grain on the side. It also makes an excellent topping for warm corn bread, or a delicious filling for pita pockets, tortillas, or chapatis.

1 cup vegetable broth or water
3 cups drained cooked or canned beans (your choice of any kind)
1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic
4 cups chopped fresh kale, stems and center ribs removed, lightly packed
1 teaspoon olive oil
salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
Tabasco sauce, to taste

Combine beans, broth or water, and garlic in a large saucepan. Place chopped kale on top of beans and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until kale is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in oil, salt, black pepper, and Tabasco sauce to taste.

Per 1-cup serving
• Calories: 219
• Fat: 1.9 g
• Saturated Fat: 0.3 g
• Calories from Fat: 7.8%
• Cholesterol: 0 mg
• Protein: 14.4 g
• Carbohydrates: 38.4 g
• Sugar: 1.9 g
• Fiber: 9.9 g
• Sodium: 424 mg
• Calcium: 176 mg
• Iron: 5.7 mg
• Vitamin C: 30.8 mg
• Beta Carotene: 6207 mcg
• Vitamin E: 2.1 mg
•
• NutritionMD.org
• This page can be found at: http://pcrm.org/kickstartHome/mealplan/

[MelissaB]

22. And another one I really like...

Steamed Kale

Kale is often just used as a garnish on salad bars. It is, however, delicious when cooked and a rich source of calcium and antioxidants.

Ingredients:
1 lb kale
1 tsp quality extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup water
1 tsp cider vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. Wash the kale well by submerging it in clean water a couple of times. Use a sharp knife to cut out the ribs of the kale and coarsely chop the leaves.

2. In a large skillet with a lid, heat the oil. Sauté the garlic until it just begins to turn golden. Add the kale and the water. Stir briefly and cover. Cook on medium until the kale is tender but still bright green. Sprinkle with vinegar, season to taste and serve.

Nutritional Information:
Per serving:
69 calories
2 g total fat (0 g sat)
0 mg cholesterol
12 g carbohydrate
4 g protein
2 g fiber
49 mg sodium
- Recipe reprinted with permission of DrWeil.com.

[SalviaBlue]

23. I haven't tried this but it looks good.

http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/kale-market-salad-recipe.html

[Ruby Reason]

24. Wow and still great ideas pouring in.

I've tried quite a few of these recipes, thank you. I'll try some more and try to post what I've tried. Been busy. Also found that kale does great in Spanish Rice (your favorite recipe), have added it nicely to the salads and tacos we've eaten, and tonight trying it in a crock pot chilli. Sure smells good.

Thanks, keep the ideas coming.

[Bolo Boffin]

25. Brownies.

I hope Kale likes them.