Happy Holidays to a Kale You Will Love!!

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For all of you Kale haters out there, thanks to one of our local farmers, I have found your answer to adding Kale to your diet. It’s Lacinato or Dinosaur kale is a dark green leafy vegetable. Dino kale has an earthy, nutty flavor. It doesn’t have the same strong bitterness as other varieties of kale, though it is still there. The sweetness helps offset that and makes it more approachable.

The leaves of the Dino Kale are so hearty that, even when well cooked, they retain a wonderful firm texture, making it a great choice for braising or adding to stews.

Not only is it sweeter and less bitter than your normal Kale, it contains the same nutritional punch! It’s an excellent source of vitamins A, C, and K—over 50 percent of recommended daily allowances for each. It also provides good amounts of B vitamins, calcium, copper, fiber, iron, manganese, vitamin E, and is rich in antioxidants.

Italian doctors often recommend this variety of kale for weight loss. It is a filling food but very low in calories and has no fat.

Give it a try and feel free to let me know what you think!!

Lacinato Kale Pasta with Parmesan

Ingredients

  • ½ pound shell or elbow pasta
  • 4 tablespoons butter, divided
  • ½ cup panko Italian style breadcrumbs
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest plus 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed juice
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 1 bunch lacinato kale, stems trimmed and rough chopped
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Directions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook to al dente. Reserve pasta water.
  2. Meanwhile, heat a wide, deep skillet (big enough to hold the cooked pasta as well) over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons butter, and when butter has melted and has a nutty fragrance, add breadcrumbs. Toast until golden, about 4 minutes. Remove breadcrumbs to a small bowl and set aside.
  3. In the same skillet, melt remaining butter. Add kale, plus a pinch each sea salt and pepper, and sauté until kale is wilted and supple, about 5 minutes. Fold in lemon zest and juice, cooked pasta, and Parmesan. Add a few tablespoons of pasta water as needed to thin consistency. Top with toasted panko Italian style breadcrumbs, finish with a sprinkle of Parmesan and a pinch of pepper, and serve.

Serves 4.

Ribollita, A Classic Tuscan Winter Soup

(Adapted from The Spruce Eats recipe)

Ingredients

  • 1 pound dried white beans  (cannellini or Navy beans, washed and soaked for 3 hours)
  • 1 small onion (peeled and chopped)
  • 1 small carrot (peeled and chopped)
  • 1 6-inch stalk celery (chopped)
  • 1 small bunch parsley (flat-leaf, chopped)
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1½ tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 pound Dino kale, ribs removed and leaves chopped)
  • 1 pound Swiss chard, ribs removed and leaves chopped)
  • ½ pound potatoes (peeled and diced)
  • Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
  • 1 sprig of fresh thyme
  • ½ loaf white bread (thinly sliced, day-old crusty Italian)

Directions

  1. Boil the beans in water to cover by about 2 inches (4 cm), adding more boiling water if need be to keep them submerged, and lightly salting them when they’re almost done.
  2. At this point, sauté the onion, carrot, celery, and parsley in the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. When the onion has become translucent, about 5 to 8 minutes, add the tomato paste and the cooking liquid from the beans.
  3. Add the kale, beet greens or chard, and potatoes. Stir in the cooked beans and season to taste with salt, pepper, and a sprig of thyme.
  4. Simmer until the potatoes are tender and can be pierced easily with the tines of a fork, about 10 to 15 minutes.
  5. Remove the thyme and discard. Take a serving dish that can be heated and fill it with alternating layers of thinly sliced bread and soup, making sure the bread is damp – until the soup is used up.

Serve and enjoy!

Southern Style Dino Kale

Ingredients

  • 4 bundles dino or lacinato kale
  • 3 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 4 shallots, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • ¼ cup Red Wine Vinegar
  • ¼ cup water
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 3 tsp. Cajun spice
  • ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes

Directions

  1. Remove dino kale stems from leaves. (Refer to photo below for reference.) Tear leaves into pieces and set them aside in a large bowl. Chop the stems into 2″ pieces.
  2. Heat a large pot of water of high heat until boiling. Once boiling, add in kale stems. Let boil for 3-4 minutes. Strain, and immediately transfer to an ice bath.
  3. Meanwhile, heat Extra Virgin Olive Oil over medium-low heat in a large pot. Add shallots and minced garlic and sauté for 3 minutes.
  4. After 3 minutes, strain your blanched kale stems and add them to the pot along with Pompeian Organic Red Wine Vinegar, water, coconut sugar, Cajun spice, and red pepper flakes. Stir well.
  5. Add in all torn kale leaves to the pot and stir well, making sure all of the leaves get covered in liquid.
  6. Cover pot, and let simmer for 10 minutes.
  7. After 10 minutes, remove the lid, stir and serve!

Serves 6-8.

Lacinato Kale and Eggs Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 Bunch Lacinato Kale
  • 6 eggs
  • ¼ Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
  • 1 tsp. Olive Oil

Directions

  1. Begin by throwing 1 whole bunch of Lacinato Kale into a sink full of cold water.
  2. Strip the kale leaves from the stems. This can be done quickly by holding the stem with your right hand, gripping the base of the stalk between your right thumb and pointer finger, and just pulling the kale through.
  3. Put a large sauté pan or medium-sized cast iron skillet on the stove at medium heat to begin warming. Put just a bit of olive oil (1 tsp.) in bottom.
  4. Gather up the leaves and give them a quick chop, not too finely. Cut them into about 1-2 inch pieces. Transfer to your warm pan. The leaves will be huge at this point, but no worries, they will lose their turgidity and become soft and delicious.
  5. Cook on medium heat for 3-5 minutes until the kale becomes soft. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
  6. Once the kale has wilted down, break 6 eggs into the pan. Then stir into the kale to coat the leaves.
  7. Once the eggs are incorporated with the kale, let cook without stirring for 1-2 minutes. At first the eggs with stick to your pan, but if you give it a minute, they will start to release.
  8. Once the eggs begin to firm up, add the cheese.

Serves 1-2.

Dinosaur Kale with Potatoes Recipe

2 cups vegetable or chicken stock (use vegetable stock for vegan option)

Ingredients

  • 2 cups water
  • 1 pound red or baby, 6 potatoes
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 pound dinosaur kale, chopped roughly
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • Salt and black pepper
  • Grated zest of a lemon
  • Lemon juice to taste

Directions

  1. Boil the potatoes: Bring the stock and water to a boil and add the potatoes. Turn the heat down to simmer gently until the potatoes are tender, about 20-30 minutes.
  2. Drain (you can reserve the stock and water to cook rice or polenta with later) and coat the potatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Salt well and set aside.
  3. Stir-fry kale, add garlic, red pepper flakes: Heat the remaining olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes. Add the kale and turn to coat with the oil as it wilts.
  4. Add the garlic and toss to combine, then add the red pepper flakes and some salt and black pepper. Stir-fry this for 2 minutes, then turn off the heat and cover the pan. Wait 2-4 minutes before uncovering,
  5. To serve, mix the lemon zest with the kale. Lay down a “nest” of kale on the plate and arrange the baby potatoes in the center. Squeeze some lemon juice over everything right as you serve.