Any kale experts out there?

I had some of the Portugese kale soup a couple of years ago and liked it well enough to decide to grow kale this year for the first time. It seems to be growing like a weed, but now I'm not sure how to use it. We tried some last night and I made the mistake of not removing the entire central rib from the leaves. It was kind of reminiscent of shoe leather, I think (not that I've eaten any shoes lately). I tried just sauteing it with some olive oil and garlic, but all in all, it was pretty dreadful. Am I letting it get too big or should I just remove the ribs and let it cook for a long time to tenderize it? Please help!

I grow kale, but for old timers like myself it is only used for boiled greens in winter after better tasting turnip and mustard greens have succumbed to cold weather. Yes, the standard practice is to strip the leaf from the ribs, and use only the younger tender leaves. Not sure of your cultivar, but the "curly" kales are better tasting than the smooth leaf. The more frilly the leaf the better. It is tougher than other greens, but has the advantage of being pretty well weather proof. It will satnd all winter as far north as Virginia and probably further.

Help is on the way - lol!!!

First off - yes, you MUST remove the central rib from the kale & discard it. Second - while kale at all ages is definitely edible, you have to suit the age of the kale to the dish.

Only VERY young leaves are suitable for use raw in salads or in a simple saute.

After that, cuisines of nearly every nationality open up to you. Here's one of my all-time favorites:

GREEK PENNE PASTA WITH KALE

1 pound penne pasta (Barilla is my favorite brand), cooked according to package directions & drained
1 block/container of Feta cheese, chopped/crumbled
Approx. 24 Kalamata olives, pitted, & roughly chopped *
1 pound Kale, washed, stems removed & roughly sliced/chopped
1 red onion
Olive oil
Dash or so of chicken broth or water

In a pot large enough to hold all the ingredients, heat the olive oil & saute the onion until soft but not brown. Add the kale, stir a bit, & add a dash or 2 of chicken broth or water to prevent burning. Add olives & stir. When kale has wilted down, add cooked pasta & feta cheese & stir again. Serve hot or at room temperature.

* This is accomplished fairly easily by simply placing your broad kitchen knife (sharp side away from you) over each olive & briskly hitting down. Olive will break open & pit will be easy to remove.

Thanks, both of you! The recipe looks great. At least I'm sure that my husband and I will think so. My mother will probably call a hunger strike, but that's okay, I'm getting used to it.

Here's another favorite that perhaps even your mother might like - lol!!

PORTUGUESE KALE & SAUSAUGE SOUP

1 pound of kale - washed, stemmed, & roughly chopped/sliced
1 large onion (any kind of your choice), roughly chopped
1 pound of turkey kielbasa sausage (or regular kielbasa if you prefer), sliced
1 pound (about 2 or 3) potatoes, diced **
2 quarts chicken broth (I admit that rather than homemade I usually use 2 boxes of Swanson's chicken broth & it tastes great!!!)
Enough olive oil to coat bottom of pot

In a pot large enough to hold all ingredients, heat olive oil & saute onion & kielbasa slices until onion is just soft but not brown. Add a dollop of chicken broth & add kale. Stir until kale has wilted down. Add rest of chicken broth & potatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat & simmer until potatoes are tender. Serve.

** Optional substitution: 2 cans of white beans (Cannelini, Northern, etc.). If using this substitution, just cook until beans are heated thru - just a few minutes at most.

Thanks for the second recipe. I just printed out both of them. Yes, I'm sure that my mother will like your recipe much better than the "authentic" kale soup I'm planning to make with the chorizo we bought. I'm sure that the chorizo will be too hot for her. I once put 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper in a HUGE pot of jambalaya (I think the pot holds at least 8 quarts) and she thought that it was too hot!

LOL!! Yes, I like it HOT as well. In fact, I neglected to add on the pasta recipe that I usually add hot red pepper flakes to taste.

My husband doesn't eat any red meat products, so therefore I use whatever poultry sausage is available to me. Sometimes I can find turkey or chicken chorizo or andouille, but those I usually save for Jambalaya or other "rice" dishes. The kielbasa works really well in this soup because it's slightly salty, which seasons the soup without having to add extra salt - something else I don't usually do.

Hi McCool, I live in Millbury, MA too!

I am also a Portuguese Kale soup fan, and I grew Kale this year for that exact purpose.
My husband's parents are from Portugal, and they make this soup often - it is my all-time favorite soup.

The tip that I have received from them regarding the preparation of the kale, is to stack the kale leaves on top of each other (maybe 5-6 leaves, depending on the size of the leaves) and roll them very tightly. Holding the roll in one hand close to the top of the roll, you shave the Kale into really thin, thread-like pieces. I sometimes chop off the top 1/2 inch to get started. It takes some time (and practice - my kale is not always thread-like!), but it gives the soup a nice consistency. I have never seen them remove the center rib - they use the entire leaf! I think the shaving ensures that the Kale will be tender. This year, I am going to try and prepare the kale for freezing, so that I can use it all year long.

Let me know if you would like the recipe, it is very simple to prepare.

Bug

Hi "Bug",

You live in Millbury too? Imagine! Thanks for the tip on the kale. The soup that I had had larger pieces of leaf in it, so they must have taken out the mid-rib, but it's always nice to know alternatives. Yes, I would like the recipe. I've gathered a few versions and will probably try quite a few. Heaven knows I have enough kale!

E. McCool

I know, small world!
I thought that my Kale was a goner back in June, but now it seems to be very happy - I have so much of it! I might just have to make some soup this week. Tonight I am making a Zucchini Cornmeal Bread (new recipe for me) with two huge Zucchinis that escaped my attention this last weekend, with all that rain. I have a feeling I will have many more oversized Zucchinis that are only suitable for shredding and baking before the season is over!

Here is my version of the soup -

INGREDIENTS
1 Large Yellow Onion, diced
3 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 Teaspoon Salt
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
7 Cups of Water
4 Potatoes, cubed (I use all-purpose potatoes)

3 Cups Kale, finely shredded (take 5-6 leaves at a time and roll them very tightly. Holding the roll in one hand close to the top of the roll, shave the Kale into really thin, thread-like pieces)

Chorizo (Optional - I don’t use this in my soup, but I want to say that my husband’s parents use about 3-4 inches of sliced chorizo in their soup)

DIRECTIONS
Sauté onion, garlic cloves and salt in olive oil. After onions are soft, add water and potatoes (cubed). Bring to a boil, let boil until potatoes are soft.

Remove from heat. At this point you can either use a ricer to “rice to potatoes” or a hand blender to break up the potatoes (I use a hand drink mixer, it seems to work well, and is easier than a ricer). This makes the potatoes a bit more “grainy” than if they were mashed.

Add kale, and bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for at least 20 minutes. For reheating, it is best to use the stove-top – I find that the microwave makes the soup a bit lumpy.

Enjoy!


This message was edited Aug 17, 2005 8:27 PM

I've never removed the rib from Kale, either, but do cut it quite small similar to the shaving that someone spoke of.

I love it in soup, stir-fry, and stew.

My plants usually last and can be used straight from the ground until into December - I've even taken the snow off a plant and cut leaves from it for supper.

~marilyn

I let my kale , swiss chard and Arugula grow a bit longer and they are all in the peppery tasting cycle at that point so I use them in spaghetti sauce. The young one to two week leaves are a much milder and better tasting time to cook em, but as all has said, the rib must go. But don't discard if ya want a cold greens salad which there good for with romaine and Butter Bib lettuce and other veggies. mmmmmmmmm