Kale Wisdom from the Guys

Joe's beautiful kale leaves in a snowy garden patch.

Submitted by Kat Braun
River House WV

This blog is dedicated to my husband and some of my favorite men-friends. Read on and you’ll see why!

About Kale

When I was a little girl I ate spinach and cabbage, potatoes and corn, broccoli, peas and carrots. I’d even venture an occasional brussels sprout or lima bean as long as they were small and tender.  But kale? Kale was beyond me. I’m so glad my Dad grew it and my Mom made me taste everything at every meal, so I eventually developed a taste for it. Now I love it! If you don’t care for it, keep trying. Research it anywhere—the list of benefits from kale is too long to print here!

Kale is not only supremely nutritious, it’s also -  

• Easy to grow and hardy in cold weather!  My husband, Joe, grows it almost year round outside, and his newest baby plants are starting to show!
• Beautiful in your garden!  There are many colorful varieties--Uncle Dave at Blue Mountain Farm included Russian Red kale in our CSA bags last week!
• Versatile:  Steam it, stir fry, chop it up and add its color and vital nutrients to virtually any dish—as in my examples below.

These are two fabulous recipes sent to me recently by friends - guys who, like my husband, grow, cook and value REAL FOOD!

Enjoy!!!

Ray’s Coconut Lentil Soup

from Ray Goodman

Ray makes this yummy soup from organic, wheat free, gluten free ingredients.

The recipe in a nutshell: 

1. Pre-soak 1 cup of lentils with 2 tablespoons of barley flakes in about 4.
2. Dump the presoak water from the lentils. Add fresh water to the lentils (about 4 cups). Bring to boil and then lower heat and simmer for ½ hour.
3. Add chopped veggies of your choice —usually beta-carotenes: Carrots, butternut squash, jewel sweet-potato, some parsley flakes, chopped up kale.
4. Season with kelp flakes, turmeric, a pinch of cayenne, toasted sesame oil, sea or celtic salt.
5. Throw in a handful of rice or Tinkyada noodles. (Tinkyada noodles are organic, wheat free, gluten free rice pasta.)
6. During the last 15 minutes of simmering, add ½ can of coconut milk.

This next recipe was forwarded to me by Dave Elliot (Uncle Dave) of of Blue Mountain Farm in Hedgesville, West Virginia. Dave is a hardworking, socially and nutritionally conscious organic farmer who likes to sit down and read the New York Times Nutrition & Fitness Section after a long day of work. Rock on, Dave!

Andrew Scrivani
for The New York Times

Slow-Baked Beans With Kale

By Martha Rose Shulman

New York Times Online Edition

February 1, 2011

Beans baked very slowly for several hours develop a creamy texture, while the liquid they cook in, which thickens to a syrup, acquires a caramelized flavor. The kale practically melts in this casserole, going from bitter to sweet. I love using lima beans in this dish because they’re so big and their texture is so luxurious.

• 1 bunch kale, stemmed and washed in two changes of water
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 rib celery, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 2/3 cups white beans (3/4 pound) or dried lima beans, picked over and soaked for at least four hours and drained
• 1 6-ounce can tomato paste, dissolved in 1 cup water
• 3 cups additional water
• A bouquet garni consisting of 4 parsley sprigs, 2 thyme sprigs and a bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
• Salt and a generous amount of freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs

1. Preheat the oven to 225 degrees. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt generously and add the kale. Blanch for two minutes, then transfer to a bowl of ice water. Drain, squeeze out water and cut into ribbons. Set aside. (I blanch the kale to extract some of the bitterness, but you can skip this step if you wish).

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat in a large ovenproof casserole. Add the onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is tender, about five minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Add the dissolved tomato paste, and bring to a simmer.

3. Add the drained beans, the remaining water, the bouquet garni, herbes de Provence and salt and pepper.. Stir in the kale, bring to a simmer, cover and place in the oven. Bake three hours until the beans are tender and creamy. Taste and adjust salt.

4. Mix together the remaining olive oil and the bread crumbs. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the beans, and continue to bake another 30 minutes to an hour until the bread crumbs are lightly browned. Remove from the heat and serve; or allow to cool slightly and serve.

Note: Make sure that the beans come to a simmer on top of the stove before placing them in the oven. Do not use old beans, which will not soften no matter how long you simmer them. If the beans do not soften in the oven after a couple of hours, raise the heat to 300 degrees. If you live at a high altitude, raise the oven temperature and let the the beans bake for longer.

Yield: Serves six.

Advance preparation: You can make this recipe through Step 3 and store it in the refrigerator up to four days ahead of serving. Top with the bread crumbs, and reheat in a 350-degree oven for 15 minutes until the beans are bubbling and the bread crumbs lightly browned.

Nutritional information per serving (six servings): 370 calories; 8 grams fat (1 gram saturated fat); 0 milligrams cholesterol; 58 grams carbohydrates; 12 grams dietary fiber; 191 milligrams sodium (does not include salt to taste); 19 grams protein

Martha Rose Shulman is the author of "The Very Best of Recipes for Health."

We Want Your Ideas

If you have recipe suggestions or great ideas about anything at all, please send them to coop.cooking@gmail.com. Be sure to include your name so we can recognize your contribution. Photos are welcome but not necessary.