Kale, a member of the brassica family, is an incredibly nutritious cooking green with ample amounts of vitamins, iron, calcium and carotenoids. We grow three types of kale, the green frilly leaved kind pictured here, dinosaur, or Lachinato, also pictured above with darker flatter leaves and a relatively new cross called rainbow kale, which is a cross between red Russian and dinosaur kale. To prepare kale simply pull the leaves off the stem and rip into large pieces. Here at Mile Creek Farm we throw greens into just about everything we make, from burritos to pizza to soup to stir fries. If you are going to use kale in an omelete, gratin, casserole or other baked dish, we recommend cooking it in salted boiling water for a couple minutes first. Kale can also be thrown, without prior cooking, into soups, stir fries with soy sauce and rice vinegar, or braised with garlic and chicken stock. Kale pairs well with potatoes, sausage, tamari, nuts, parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes. Here are a few recipes to get you started.
Kale Gratin (you can use any other green in place of the cabbage)