Holy Organic Green Kale (Batman)!
In all reality, kale barely squeezes into this favourited slot. It's really bitter, kinda tough, and can be hard to digest. However, because of its immense nutritional values, it proudly gained membership to this elite group of culinary spattering's favourite foods.
Kale is some of the produce that we like to buy organic. I mean, organic vs. inorganic is always better, but with those really long stems sucking everything from the soil and surroundings, kale seems more than most that it should benefit from growing in a clean and V.O.C.-free environment.
The washing of it can be a bit tedious and time-consuming.
But I use the 'washing' as an excuse to also de-spine them and break up the leaves a bit. Which is an appreciated step later on.
Most often I use a fair bit of this stuff right away, but if I need to keep some, it can actually last quite (surprisingly) long in the fridge if you put it in a sealed plastic container lined with a paper towel or two.
I've had it last for close to a week before showing any signs of going bad, which is usually just some mild yellowing; certainly not as bad as other types of green leafy veggies (like romaine, which just seems to disintegrate into a wet black mulch when it starts to turn). :)
Anyway, kale is great stuff. I don't use it for or in as many things as I should. Partly because of the bitter taste, but also partly because it is still relatively new to me. I like making dumplings with kale, mixing small amounts into salad, but the lion's share of kale by far goes into smoothies.
Something I want to look into for the future, although it will probably wait until the weather starts to get a little cooler, in autumn perhaps, is including some diced kale in soups and stews and such.
Exciting stuff!
