Problem: I don't like kale

[moonmirror]

I grew kale, but I don't like kale.

Did you know, its the only vegetable in my garden that's not currently being decimated by bugs? Doesn't that tell you something?

Maybe I should make a kale lasagne? The kale would sub for pasta. Only, I'm fairly certain; that lasagne would taste like dirt.

The only thing that sounds palatable is to juice it up and take it like a shot.

[PghPALady1974]

Have you tried making kale chips? It's basically dehydrated kale. You can add what ever seasonings on it you want. I BUY it, not make it but I know some people here do and hopefully they pop in!

[boop13]

Mmm... Kale chips! Easy and tasty. I toss in olive oil and sprinkle on seasoning... Sometimes seasoning salt. Sometimes dill or chili powder. Bake in oven for 10-15 min til crispy and enjoy!

[moonmirror]

I tried kale chips. That was the first and only time I've had kale.

I think its going to bolt in about a week, so I need to figure out if I'm going to eat it, or if I'm going to give it away...

[moonmirror]

this is what I was thinking: http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2012/01...kale-mock.html

I could eat that!

[Janknitz]

Very easy to make kale chips and they don't taste like dirt! Wash the leaves well, tear them into large bite sized pieces with no stem or large central vein, lay them out on a large baking sheet.

Spray the leaves with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and other yummy things (Parmesean cheese, lemon zest, popcorn seasoning, favorite spices, etc ). Bake at 350 for 10 to 15 minutes until the leaves are dry and crispy. Eat. YUM!

If there are any leftover (rarely!) I dry them longer in the food dehydrated and store them in a mason jar sealed with a vacuum sealer so they stay crispy.

[pooticus]

The secret to kale is acclimation. You have to acquire a taste for it. LOL.

When I first started eating it a year or so ago, I would saute it in bacon grease with onion and LOTS of garlic. Add a splash of hot vinegar to it and voila! Instant yumminess!

Then I also added it to soups like Italian Wedding Soup and Tuscan Kale, Bean and Sausage Soup, and even the Pumpkin Sausage Soup. Now I add it to almost any veg and meat soup I make.

I also like to saute it and use it in things like lasagna, on pizzas, in casseroles and "Crack Slaws".

I also tear it up and mix it with spinach and strawberries to make Fawn's Green Smoothie.

Good luck. It's maybe one of THE best veggies out there from a nutritional and anti-cancer perspective. It's neck-in-neck with Swiss Chard and other deep green leafy veggies!

[TigerlilyCA]

There's a kale salad at Whole Foods that I LOVE. It's just kale and a garlic tahini dressing. I did some googling and found a recipe and recreated it at home:

1/2 bunch raw kale, washed, de-stemmed and dried
1 T tahini
1 T apple cider vinegar (or water)
1 T lemon juice
1 T Bragg’s liquid aminos (tamari or soy sauce would work too)
2 T nutritional yeast
1 tsp. minced garlic (1 – 2 cloves of garlic)

You do have to let it sit for a little while for the leaves to absorb the dressing and when you add it to the kale, use your hands and really massage it in.

[pooticus]

Ashley that sounds lovely! I will have to try that.

I made a kale salad last week that was pretty yummy and ate on it most of the week! Haha!

[leeloo]

If you like creamed spinach, you might like creamed kale. (My mouth waters just thinking of it, but I love kale! ) Bobby Flay's recipe (on the google) is LC.

[SherBel]

I detest vegetables in general, but oddly, I like kale. Having said that, I really only like it in 'brothy' soups, and I cook it for a very long time. At least an hour, until it's very soft and tender. I haven't tried the chips, but I will. One day.

(I grew kale last year for the first time, and it was fabulous as an ornamental plant; I'd grow it even if I didn't like to eat it!)

[drjlocarb]

I feel your pain.

I think kale tastes too "green", with a hint of dirt.

I don't think I could cover the taste. Good luck.

[Auntie Em]

MM, I sometimes grow things, for an adventure in gardening, that I end up not liking. I have been able to swap them successfully, so far.

Have you got a neighbor who raises rabbits and chickens? Perhaps you could trade kale for eggs? Or a neighbor who also grows vegetables, who would give you something you like, for the kale?

[skuma]

ok..funny thing. my username skuma is actually kale as called in kenya!
we love kale..we make skuma wiki..take your kale add a head of fresh spinach..throw in onion, mushroom, pepper, salt, garlic and cayenne..sautee in olive oil and a little tomato if you want...there is nothing so fantastic for your body as kale!

[leeloo]

Originally Posted by skuma

ok..funny thing. my username skuma is actually kale as called in kenya!
we love kale..we make skuma wiki..take your kale add a head of fresh spinach..throw in onion, mushroom, pepper, salt, garlic and cayenne..sautee in olive oil and a little tomato if you want...there is nothing so fantastic for your body as kale!

Ummm, YUM. I will be making this very soon.

[Charski]

Kale/white bean/sausage soup is probably my favorite way to eat it, but we LOVE the kale chips, and I've also done it in a mix of greens Southern-style - simmer a hambone or hamhock in water with a chopped onion, a few red pepper flakes, couple cloves of garlic. Let it simmer about an hour to extract all the hammy goodness. (You can also use diced fatback or bacon, or a smoked turkey leg or wing, if you don't have the hammy parts.) Pull out the ham bone, remove any meat that's worth saving, throw in big bunches of cleaned, deveined kale and let it wilt down, simmer til tender (about 20 minutes usually) and then add a tablespoon of Splenda or equivalent sweetener you like, a couple tablespoons of cider vinegar; adjust seasonings to taste. Spoon out the leaves and some of the "pot likker" into a bowl, sprinkle on hot sauce if you like it (the Cholula Chile Lime is really good!) and eat it up. My DH HATES anything "bitter" and he loves this dish, and the chips.

There are varieties of kale too - I grew Lacinato and Red Russian. We preferred the RR because it was more tender to start with and also a flatter leaf, which was easier for making chips.

[tiva]

Originally Posted by moonmirror

this is what I was thinking: Kalyn's Kitchen: Recipe for Sausage and Kale Mock Lasagna Casserole

I could eat that!

I make this kale lasagna all the time (not this exact recipe). It's wonderful!

Of course, I love kale and eat it 4 or 5 times a week, since it grows so well in our garden and freezes really well. My favorite way to eat kale is to saute it in lots of coconut oil or olive oil and then add a splash of vinegar or lemon juice (acid always improves bitter greens). It's also great roasted with a little garlic, oil, and vinegar.

[Tilly]

Originally Posted by TigerlilyCA

There's a kale salad at Whole Foods that I LOVE. It's just kale and a garlic tahini dressing. I did some googling and found a recipe and recreated it at home:

1/2 bunch raw kale, washed, de-stemmed and dried
1 T tahini
1 T apple cider vinegar (or water)
1 T lemon juice
1 T Bragg’s liquid aminos (tamari or soy sauce would work too)
2 T nutritional yeast
1 tsp. minced garlic (1 – 2 cloves of garlic)

You do have to let it sit for a little while for the leaves to absorb the dressing and when you add it to the kale, use your hands and really massage it in.

Funny you mention this. A friend of mine just introduced me to kale (from WF's) AND the dressing. It is a bit to garlicy for me, but I found the recipe you just posted in our newspaper recently. She was telling me what Pooticus mentioned here, that it is almost the best thing going for your body. Last night I found a box of mixed baby kale at WF's. Can't wait to try that. Think I'll try the sauted in bacon fat as well!

[pooticus]

Tilly not to thread jack but did you end up making the brisket on Easter? How was it???

[LindaSue]

Maybe I just got a bad bunch of kale the one time that I tried it. I used it in a soup recipe and found that it had no flavor at all. It also seemed a bit high in carbs compared to spinach and, according to the USDA site, it has very little fiber to offset the carbs.

1 pound kale: 227 Calories; 3g Fat; 15g Protein; 45g Carbohydrate; 9g Dietary Fiber; 36g Net Carbs

[Tilly]

Originally Posted by pooticus

Tilly not to thread jack but did you end up making the brisket on Easter? How was it???

I did, sorry not to report back. Oh boy, that was so easy and SOOOO good! Thank you, Pooticus! I mixed all the spices the day before. I bought my brisket from WF's. And the smell was heavenly! I will be making that one again. Oh and LOVE them leftovers!!!!

[Tilly]

Originally Posted by LindaSue

Maybe I just got a bad bunch of kale the one time that I tried it. I used it in a soup recipe and found that it had no flavor at all. It also seemed a bit high in carbs compared to spinach and, according to the USDA site, it has very little fiber to offset the carbs.

1 pound kale: 227 Calories; 3g Fat; 15g Protein; 45g Carbohydrate; 9g Dietary Fiber; 36g Net Carbs

First time I tried it (long time ago) it was way too bitter. But bought it recently from WF's. Tuesday I bought a huge (and I mean huge) box of baby kale from WF's. It is going to take me a looooooonnnnnng time to eat that one up. Think I'll try the sauted with bacon grease one and kale and sausage recipe from somewhere. I have been throwing it into my lunch salad. Now it is not a dainty girlie salad, I get out a mixing bowl to throw all the lettuces and kale into it, then add a bit of meat and/or boiled egg. Okay, so I usually eat lunch alone.

[LindaSue]

Originally Posted by Tilly

First time I tried it (long time ago) it was way too bitter. But bought it recently from WF's. Tuesday I bought a huge (and I mean huge) box of baby kale from WF's. It is going to take me a looooooonnnnnng time to eat that one up. Think I'll try the sauted with bacon grease one and kale and sausage recipe from somewhere. I have been throwing it into my lunch salad. Now it is not a dainty girlie salad, I get out a mixing bowl to throw all the lettuces and kale into it, then add a bit of meat and/or boiled egg. Okay, so I usually eat lunch alone.

I was expecting it to be sort of bitter but the stuff I bought wasn't bitter at all. I was very surprised to find it had no taste at all.

[leeloo]

Originally Posted by LindaSue

I was expecting it to be sort of bitter but the stuff I bought wasn't bitter at all. I was very surprised to find it had no taste at all.

I think you were right for thinking you got a bad bunch - normally kale definitely has a taste. It tastes like greens. If you've ever had collards or other greens, it's not too far off of what kale tastes like.

I love kale, but it is an acquired taste. It's one of those foods that the first time or three that you try it, you think "meh", but then you get to craving it.

I usually sautee it in a cast iron pan in olive oil, and throw in some fresh chopped garlic after a few minutes. So good.

[moonmirror]

For the record, my lasagne was wonderful. I give it an 8 out of 10 stars!

I didn't have enough tomatoes for my sauce, so I actually diced a bunch of sweet peppers into one can of tomatoes to simmer down. I think that sweetened it a bit.

Kale was tender and flavorful in the lasagne layers.

But: my husband killed the rest of my kale. Inadvertently: he had to spray a bunch of wasp nests near my garden, and it drifted down and killed them. Everyone was bummed because they loved the lasagne so much!!

[pooticus]

So sorry! But glad no wasps!!!

[pooticus]

You might try cutting it to the ground and see if it comes back up!

[millergirl1976]

Originally Posted by Charski

Kale/white bean/sausage soup is probably my favorite way to eat it, but we LOVE the kale chips, and I've also done it in a mix of greens Southern-style - simmer a hambone or hamhock in water with a chopped onion, a few red pepper flakes, couple cloves of garlic. Let it simmer about an hour to extract all the hammy goodness. (You can also use diced fatback or bacon, or a smoked turkey leg or wing, if you don't have the hammy parts.) Pull out the ham bone, remove any meat that's worth saving, throw in big bunches of cleaned, deveined kale and let it wilt down, simmer til tender (about 20 minutes usually) and then add a tablespoon of Splenda or equivalent sweetener you like, a couple tablespoons of cider vinegar; adjust seasonings to taste. Spoon out the leaves and some of the "pot likker" into a bowl, sprinkle on hot sauce if you like it (the Cholula Chile Lime is really good!) and eat it up. My DH HATES anything "bitter" and he loves this dish, and the chips.

There are varieties of kale too - I grew Lacinato and Red Russian. We preferred the RR because it was more tender to start with and also a flatter leaf, which was easier for making chips.

Um, yum. That soup sounds terrific.

I was going to jump on the soup bandwagon here- I do it with both kale and spinach- chop it up in to smallish pieces and dump it in whatever soup you like- for kale, it has to simmer longer in the soup. It loses the dirt flavor- I barely notice it amongst the other good soup flavors.

[moonmirror]

Originally Posted by pooticus

You might try cutting it to the ground and see if it comes back up!

I feel like its poisoned. I'm going to pull it up and move that garden anyhow...its too close to the pool; it was intended to be a winter garden only.

Onto another green: maybe rainbow chard, now?