Kale, lovely kale!
You either love it or you hate it. But curiously, because of its sweeter taste and low sulphur content, many kids who won't touch sprouts or cabbage will happily eat kale. Worth a try!
See also Brassicas
See also Brassicas
Kale is one of the oldest vegetables we grow, going back at least to Saxon times and quite possibly to the Neolithic - it is derived, after all, from a British wild plant. Over the years, the aim of breeders has been to get rid of the bitterness and boost the sweet, juicy flavours. the most popular variety grown is Curly Kale, available both in a green-leaved form and in a handsome purple which looks gorgeous in the garden. Sadly, when cooked, it goes the same boring old green . . .
Beautiful Curly kale (right) |
A newer addition to our gardens, seen first as a luxury vegetable in the supermarkets, is Cavolo Nero, or "Nero di Toscana", a narrow-leaved kale very popular in Italy where it is used in pasta dishes. You'd think an Italian variety would be less hardy, but no, it's cold in those Tuscan hills and "Nero di Toscana" seems to stand up to the weather at least as well as the familiar British varieties. Eat the lower leaves in the autumn and, in spring, pick the tender young sideshoots.
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Kale is easy to grow, in the same fertile, limy soil as cabbages. Like all Brassicas, it is inclined to "lodge" in windy, wet weather. This means the top-heavy plants blow over, water gets in round the roots and the plant may die as those roots rot. Keep an eye on plants and either firm the soil back round the roots with a boot or, in the kind of weather we've had this winter, give them a sturdy cane and some string.
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Braving the weather with aid of a stake.
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Older varieties of kale are still available for the enthusiast; the oldest are "Hungry Gap" and "Thousand Head", which are very similar and indeed may be interchangeable. They make big, bushy plants and are valued because they supply greens in that difficult "hungry gap" when the last of the winter veg have gone and the early summer ones aren't yet ready. However, the same could be said of both Globe Artichokes and Asparagus - both of which are, to most people, much to be preferred. The older kale varieties have a strong, bitter flavour and will appeal only to those who really like their greens!
If you're a real kale enthusiast there is now a whole book of recipes. What they're like I cannot imagine - a bit like the old Monty Python "spam" sketch??? Click here for The Book of Kale on Amazon
If you're a real kale enthusiast there is now a whole book of recipes. What they're like I cannot imagine - a bit like the old Monty Python "spam" sketch??? Click here for The Book of Kale on Amazon