• Kale's ability to maintain its texture and flavor make it ideal for stews, casseroles, and slow-cooking soups.

• For a quick, nutritious meal, stir-fry kale with chunks of tofu and sason with garlic, ginger, and red chiles.

• Add kale to your favorite pasta recipe, as a substitute for spinach. Especially good with pine nuts!

• Serve boiled or steamed kale with vinaigrette or sesame dressing.

• Slow-cook kale just a you would collards.

• Kale and pork sausage or ham are natural soul mates.

• Scramble eggs with a bit of cooked kale stirred instead of spinach.

• Chop up plenty of garlic, fry it crisp in olive oil and salt, and sprinkle it over a bunch of steamed kale.

• For another quick and hearty soup, add cooked kale to canned tomatoes, canned white beans, chicken or vegetable broth, parsley, rosemary, and plenty of onion and garlic to taste.

Recipes

Simple Kale (serves 2)

1 bunch of kale, leaves chopped into thin strips and stems discarded

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 thinly sliced green garlic scapes

1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce

1. Rinse the kale and toss it, still wet, into a large heated pan. After the kale begins to wilt (about 5 minutes), add the olive oil and green garlic to the pan. Cook until the kale reaches the desired doneness.

2. If you are cooking the kale for a longer time, you will need to add a liquid to ensure that the kale does not burn. Sherry, broth, vermouth, green tea, or water all work well. (I like kale lightly cooked, while others prefer it well-done. The beauty of kale is that it will not become bitter, even if it is cooked for a long time).

3. Right before serving, cook off or drain any remaining liquid and add the tamari or soy sauce to the hot greens. Toss, serve, and enjoy.

Credit: Sarah Libertus, former Featherstone Farm CSA manager

Kale Mashed Potatoes (serves 4 to 6)

4 to 5 medium Russet of Yukon potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/3-inch-thick pieces

1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar

3 tablespoons butter

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup half-and-half

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Salt and pepper

Kale from Simple Kale recipe (above)

1. In a large pot, add the potatoes, vinegar, and salt to 6 cups of hot water. Simmer on very low heat for 20 minutes. Drain the potato water, and run cold water over the potatoes to halt their cooking.

2. Heat the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan; add the cream, half-and-half, white pepper, and salt. Add water back to the cooled potatoes, bring to a boil, and simmer until fork-tender, about 5 minutes.

3. Mash the potatoes by putting them through a ricer or using a masher, gradually adding the hot cream mixture. Once the potatoes become creamy, add the kale.

Credit: Sarah Libertus, former Featherstone Farm CSA manager

Kale-Cheese Calzone

First make your favorite pizza dough.  Make a double recipe and freeze half the dough.  Next time you want to make pizza you will be halfway there.  This is a time honored trick of experienced cooks -- make extra and freeze for another day.  Efficient.

Divide dough into portions - about one tennis ball size ball of dough per person.  Let dough relax.  Roll into four 9 x 6 oblongs.  Place filling on long side of each oblong, leaving room on the edge for sealing.  Lightly brush the edges with water.  Fold dough in half, adjusting so that filling is distributed over the half circle.  Press edges of dough together to seal.

Filling (this is from Ken Haedrich's Country Baking)

(enough for four individual calzones)

1/2 pound kale - wash, remove ribs, slice and steam until tender.  Cool, squeeze dry and chop.

1 cup grated Parmesan

1 cup grated Mozzarella

1 cup crumbled Kasseri cheese (Asiago would work too.  Or use extra mozzarella or Parmesan)

2 T. finely chopped onion

2 T. chopped fresh basil (you could also use pesto)

Mix kale with cheeses, onion and basil.  Divide between dough pieces.  Fill and seal.  Let rise about 5-10 minutes.  Bake at 350 degrees about 25 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Credit: Cook out of the Box 2011 - Week 6

Kale with Pancetta

I sauteed one medium sliced red onion with about two tablespoons of pancetta.  Pancetta is cured pork - like bacon but not smoked.  You could also use bacon or even just some olive oil or butter.  The point is to add a little fat and flavor to jazz up the kale.  After the onion was soft, I added about 2 cups of thawed frozen kale, chopped.  And just a few spoonfuls of water and about 1/2 t. salt.  I covered the pot and steamed the veggies about 10 minutes, until they were tender.  Then spread them in a dish, cracked a few eggs on top, and baked at 350 degrees until the eggs were set.  Lovely served with a little balsamic vinegar to sprinkle on top.  If you like hot sauce you could use that instead.  We had some oven roasted potatoes on the side, with some homemade ketchup.  Add some bread (we had bread made with some cornmeal and pureed winter squash) and you are all set.  If you look at the picture you can see tea in the cup -- made from peppermint from our garden.  When the mint comes up, I'll tell you how to make your own mint tea.

Credit: Cook out of the Box 2010 - There's Always a First Time

Potato Soup with Greens and Smoked Pork 

Ingredients

6 cups water

1 t. salt

1 pound potatoes peeled if desired, cut into 1/2 inch dice

3/4 pound kale or chard (washed, with tough stems and ribs removed)- cut into 1/2 inch shreds

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup olive oil

4 ounces smoked garlic sausage or smoked bacon, diced and fried until crisp

Preparation

Bring salted water to a boil.  Add potatoes and cook until potatoes are falling apart.  Mash with a potato masher into a puree.  Add greens and garlic and olive oil.  Salt and pepper to taste (remember that meat is salty.)  Simmer about 10 minutes, until greens are tender.  Divide among 4 warmed bowls.  Top each bowl with some of the meat.

Credit: Cook out of the Box 2010 - Week 17