Kale should be stored in the bag or in a veggie container in the frige.
To clean, simply rinse off leaves. Most receipes call for kale leaves. Simply remove the stems from the leaves.
Try steaming and wilting the leaves, store in a container in the frig to have on hand to add to an omelet, or pasta, or with grilled onions to a grilled cheese sandwich - YUM! There are many recipes with kale! Some of the Farabaugh favorites are Kale Soup, Braised Kale, and Kale Brownies.
Greek-style Kale Salad
1 T lemon juice
1 T olive oil
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. pepper
6 C kale, stemmed and chopped (OR 4 C kale, 2 C chard)
1 C cucumbers, peeled and chopped
1/4 C green onions, chopped
feta and black olives to your liking
In a small bowl, blend the first 4 ingredients to make the dressing; stirring until sugar dissolves.
In a large serving bowl, add kale and dressing; toss and let stand for 10 minutes. Add cucumbers, onions, feta and olives; toss.
Serve immediately.
KALE SOUP
12 oz. Italian sausage links, sliced
1/4 C water
1 T canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped (or ½ C green onion)
1-2 clove garlic, minced (or 1-2 garlic scapes)
(2) 15 oz. cans cannellini beans, rinsed
(2) 14 oz. cans chicken broth
(1) 14 oz. can diced tomatoes (Italian flavored OR Basil & Garlic)
4 C kale, rinsed, stems removed, and leaves chopped
salt & pepper to taste
In a large skillet, bring to boil water and sausage slices. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 10 minutes. Uncover; cook 5 minutes more until sausage is browned. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, heat oil in large saucepan and cook onion and garlic, about 5 minutes. Add beans, broth, and undrained tomatoes. Cover and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes more. Stir in kale and cooked sausage. Simmer until kale is tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Makes about 5 servings.
NOTE: Try ground sausage or Kielbasa instead of links; try garlic scapes instead of cloves; try chard or spinach instead of kale.
KALE BROWNIES
(A bit of time involved but so worth the effort!!!)
1 bunch kale
1 ¼ C flour
2 T cocoa powder
1 t salt
1 C semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 oz. dark chocolate
1 C unsalted butter
1 ½ C sugar
½ C packed brown sugar
4 eggs
1 ½ t vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350F. Wash and pat dry kale. Remove thick stems. Place kale leaves in a steamer and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Place wilted kale in food processor and puree; drain excess liquid; set aside (you should have about 1 C, if more that's fine).
Whisk together flour, cocoa, and salt; set aside. In a double boiler, melt together butter, chocolate chips and dark chocolate; stir until evenly smooth. Remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes. Then add sugars, eggs, vanilla, and kale; mixing until combined. Gently add flour mix and stir until just blended; do not overmix.
Prepare a 13 x 9-inch dish – grease with butter then line with parchment paper. Carefully pour in batter. Bake for 35 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Carefully lift brownies up and out of pan by holding edges of parchment paper (if they sit in pan they’ll continue to cook and get dry. Let them cool completely before cutting.
BRAISED KALE
4 slices of bacon, cooked (reserve 1 T grease)
1 C green onions, chopped
1 bunch kale, stems removed and chopped
1/3 C apple juice
1 T apple cider
1 green apple, peeled and diced
In a lidded skillet, heat reserved bacon grease, add onions and cook for 3 minutes. Add kale and cook for 5 minutes to wilt. Add juice and vinegar; cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add apple, salt & pepper to taste and cook 5 minutes more. Sprinkle with bacon and serve warm.
NOTE: 1 C diced white onions may be subtituted for green onions