Kale – Another member of the cole family

Cole crops are those related to the cabbage.  Cole comes from the Latin caulis meaning cabbage.

The cole crops include broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens, Brussels sprouts, kolhrabi, and kale.  According to An A-Z of Food & Drink from Oxford University Press, kale is largely associated with Scotland.  I’m not going to get into all of the nutritional benefits of cole crops.  That might take the fun out of this very tasty vegetable.  Just eat and enjoy.

Kale is a great cool weather crop, and in some climates it’s being harvested now.  A large bunch of kale that may fill the kitchen sink will cook down nicely to serve 4-6 people.  Here’s all you do.

• Wash the leaves and strip out the center stem.
• Stack the leaves on top of each other and cut into thin strips.
• Heat a bit of olive oil in a pan, add chopped garlic and diced onions.
• Add the kale by handfuls.  Saute until the kale is wilted but still bright green.
• Add salt and fresh ground pepper to taste and serve.

This whole process takes about 8 to 10 minutes.  Don’t overcook.

Kale cooked this way will also freeze nicely and keep for a couple of months.

If you really want the info on nutritional benefits, let me know.  It’s all good news.