08.29.07
Sesame Kale Salad
We get lots of kale from our farm share. I’ve tried dealing with it various ways over the years - for example, freezing it to use in winter soups. But even so, I usually fall behind. Kale just isn’t a “go to” vegetable in my brain, especially not in the summer. But I tried this recipe tonight, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Maybe kale will be easier to use up now that I have a “favorite” recipe for it! I imagine this would be good with Asian foods, and good to take in for lunch.
Local ingredients: kale (a mixture of lacinato and green curly), garlic, honey.
Sesame Kale Salad
1 pound fresh kale (or chard, spinach, or other greens)
2 Tab soy sauce
2 Tab toasted sesame oil
1 Tab toasted sesame seeds
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp honey (or other sweetener)
1 Tab apple cider vinegar
dash of black or ground red pepper, or more to tasteSeparate kale leaves from stems. Chop stems and greens. Steam stems a couple of minutes, then add the greens and steam until just tender. Drain; let kale cool enough to handle it. Squeeze out as much water as possible. Place in serving bowl. Mix the remaining ingredients in another bowl; add to greens. Mix, chill, and serve. Makes 4-6 servings.
(I skipped the “chill” step, because it was dinnertime!) Recipe found on p 96 in From Asparagus to Zucchini, which says that it is “Adapted from Extending the Table: A World Community Cookbook, by Joetta Hendrich Schlabach.”
adeliciouslife said,
29 August 2007 at 7:37 pm
You could also try making kale chips…
Ingredients:
1-2 bunches of kale
Olive oil
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Remove kale from stalk, leaving the greens in large pieces. Place a little olive oil in a bowl, dip your fingers and rub a very light coat of oil over the kale. Lay out on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes or until it starts to turn a bit brown. Keep an eye on the kale, it can burn quickly. Turn the kale over and bake with the other side up. Remove and serve.
jonskifarms said,
29 August 2007 at 8:55 pm
Hey deliciouslife, thanks for stopping by. I’ve made kale chips before, but they’re not a big hit at my house. I don’t even like them very much! I made some almost exactly a year ago - and they’re still in the pantry. I’m kind of afraid to open the container! They were okay, but I couldn’t figure out when I would really want to eat them.
Cindy D. said,
30 August 2007 at 6:54 am
The only time I’ve had kale was when my grandmother would make it. She would steam it and then serve it with melted butter and lemon juice drizzled over it.
jonskifarms said,
30 August 2007 at 8:42 am
Cindy, I don’t think I’d ever had kale in a house (maybe in a restaurant) until I started getting my farm share in 2000! The only “greens” (other than salad) that I ever ate growing up was spinach from a can (ick!).
Ruth said,
30 August 2007 at 3:28 pm
Sounds yummy!
susan e said,
31 August 2007 at 2:25 pm
I’m pretty sure I’ve never eaten kale in my entire life.
jonskifarms said,
1 September 2007 at 9:42 pm
hey susan, it’s never too late to start! plus it’s low cal and high in fiber. it is kind of ‘dark’ tasting, though, moreso than spinach or chard.
here’s some nutrition info: http://home.howstuffworks.com/kale3.htm
jonskifarms said,
9 September 2007 at 8:28 pm
I made this again tonight for an Asian dinner, and yes indeed, it does go well with Asian foods (no big surprise, given the soy sauce and toasted sesame oil!).