In an effort to increase my veg repertoire I bought some kale. I
sauteed some onion and garlic, put in the kale with some dry pepper
flakes and covered the pan. I cooked it for about 15 minutes, stirring
now and then. It was horrible. Back to spinach!

Anthony wrote:
> In an effort to increase my veg repertoire I bought some kale. I
> sauteed some onion and garlic, put in the kale with some dry pepper
> flakes and covered the pan. I cooked it for about 15 minutes, stirring
> now and then. It was horrible. Back to spinach!

Try Swiss Chard - much more mild and tasty - much more like spinach. I
like the red Swiss Chard the best.
-L.

Anthony wrote:
> In an effort to increase my veg repertoire I bought some kale. I
> sauteed some onion and garlic, put in the kale with some dry pepper
> flakes and covered the pan. I cooked it for about 15 minutes, stirring
> now and then. It was horrible. Back to spinach!
>

It is definitely an acquired taste. I don't think 15 minutes is long
enough to tenderize it. Kale is tough, strong flavored and very strong
smelling. My ancestors used it in soup but i have always preferred
collards instead. Either way, I don't think I've made the soup in 20
years. It was never my favorite.

gloria p

In article .com>,
says...
> In an effort to increase my veg repertoire I bought some kale. I
> sauteed some onion and garlic, put in the kale with some dry pepper
> flakes and covered the pan. I cooked it for about 15 minutes, stirring
> now and then. It was horrible. Back to spinach!
>
>

15 min is too short for most kale. Try steaming it until done - you have
to check the thickest parts to tell - then drain well and chop coarsely.
Saute slowly in olive oil with some garlic, salt, and pepper. Top with
toasted pine nuts. It can be great stuff - don;t give up!

--
Peter Aitken
Visit my recipe and kitchen myths pages at www.pgacon.com/cooking.htm

"Anthony" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> In an effort to increase my veg repertoire I bought some kale. I
> sauteed some onion and garlic, put in the kale with some dry pepper
> flakes and covered the pan. I cooked it for about 15 minutes, stirring
> now and then. It was horrible. Back to spinach!
>

Growing up, my favorite meal (the one I always asked for on
my birthday) was pot roast. My mother would make it in
a pressure cooker. We called the dinner "Roast beef, browned
potatoes, and brown gravy". The green vegetable was
always kale. It wasn't until I went to college that I was more
than mildly aware that there were any other kinds of green
leafy vegetables.

Wash it, cut it into small pieces, then saute it in bacon grease;
cover and steam. 15 minutes does sound somewhat short.

"Anthony" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> In an effort to increase my veg repertoire I bought some kale. I
> sauteed some onion and garlic, put in the kale with some dry pepper
> flakes and covered the pan. I cooked it for about 15 minutes, stirring
> now and then. It was horrible. Back to spinach!
>

Keep trying it. Chop it into soups. It's terrific when cooked correctly,
which you didn't do.

"AC" > wrote in message
...
>
> Anthony wrote:
>
>> In an effort to increase my veg repertoire I bought some kale. I
>> sauteed some onion and garlic, put in the kale with some dry pepper
>> flakes and covered the pan. I cooked it for about 15 minutes,
> stirring
>> now and then. It was horrible. Back to spinach!
>
> kale is going to be a lot tougher and more bitter than spinach.

Kale gets bitter when grown in hot weather. It's best in early spring (young
leaves), or in the fall when it's been subjected to some cold weather. This
may never happen if grown in California, but if there's a source of locally
grown kale, and you're in a climate where temps get down to freezing, the
vegetable can be extraordinary.

Anthony wrote:

> In an effort to increase my veg repertoire I bought some kale. I
> sauteed some onion and garlic, put in the kale with some dry pepper
> flakes and covered the pan. I cooked it for about 15 minutes,
stirring
> now and then. It was horrible. Back to spinach!

kale is going to be a lot tougher and more bitter than spinach. you
might
want to try treating them more like collards. braise in some chicken
stock
with some sort of smoked pork product like bacon or ham hocks. throw
in some garlic, onions, red pepper flakes and a splash of cider
vinegar at the end. i'd try to braise them some around an hour, maybe
more.

Anthony wrote:
> In an effort to increase my veg repertoire I bought some kale. I
> sauteed some onion and garlic, put in the kale with some dry pepper
> flakes and covered the pan. I cooked it for about 15 minutes, stirring
> now and then. It was horrible. Back to spinach!

For quick cooking you need to remove the stems (use stems as a separate
vegetable - good diced into soups).

---> http://www.justvegetablerecipes.com/inxkal.html

Sheldon

I include some diced tomatoes and some vinegar when
cooking kale. I find it improves the results.
There can however be a strong aroma of indole with
some kale (those who have worked in a chem lab
will immediately recognize this smell.)

Steve

Anthony wrote:
>
> In an effort to increase my veg repertoire I bought some kale. I
> sauteed some onion and garlic, put in the kale with some dry pepper
> flakes and covered the pan. I cooked it for about 15 minutes,
> stirring now and then. It was horrible. Back to spinach!

In the Diary of Anne Frank, she describes
pickled kale as one of the staple foods
of her diet. She hated it. IIRC, she
in particular hated the stink when one
of the barrels was opened.

"Mark Thorson" > wrote in message
...
> Anthony wrote:
>>
>> In an effort to increase my veg repertoire I bought some kale. I
>> sauteed some onion and garlic, put in the kale with some dry pepper
>> flakes and covered the pan. I cooked it for about 15 minutes,
>> stirring now and then. It was horrible. Back to spinach!
>
> In the Diary of Anne Frank, she describes
> pickled kale as one of the staple foods
> of her diet. She hated it. IIRC, she
> in particular hated the stink when one
> of the barrels was opened.

Yuk, I tried to cook it once - I won't be trying again!

Elaine

"elaine" > wrote in message
...
> "Mark Thorson" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Anthony wrote:
>>>
>>> In an effort to increase my veg repertoire I bought some kale. I
>>> sauteed some onion and garlic, put in the kale with some dry pepper
>>> flakes and covered the pan. I cooked it for about 15 minutes,
>>> stirring now and then. It was horrible. Back to spinach!
>>
>> In the Diary of Anne Frank, she describes
>> pickled kale as one of the staple foods
>> of her diet. She hated it. IIRC, she
>> in particular hated the stink when one
>> of the barrels was opened.
>
> Yuk, I tried to cook it once - I won't be trying again!
>
> Elaine
>

Cook what? Pickled kale, or some other recipe for kale?

"Anthony" > writes:
> In an effort to increase my veg repertoire I bought some kale. I
> sauteed some onion and garlic, put in the kale with some dry pepper
> flakes and covered the pan. I cooked it for about 15 minutes, stirring
> now and then. It was horrible. Back to spinach!

I do a similar technique:

1. Fry up a slice of bacon in the bottom of a deep saucepan
2. Fry up some onion and garlic scapes in the bacon grease.
3. Put in as much kale as fits in the pot.
4. Add a 1/4 cup of water
5. Heat until the water boils.
6. Steam it, uncovered, for a good half hour.
7. Add a few shakes of pepper sauce
8. Add cider vinegar until it tastes right.

The last step is the important one, since otherwise it takes kale a
looong time simmering to lose the bitterness.

I like this dish (although it's usually a mix of kale, collards, and
mustard greens, since I grow all of these), and eat it 2-3x a week
during the summer.

--
Richard W Kaszeta

http://www.kaszeta.org/rich

On Thu 04 May 2006 09:48:04a, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it Anthony?

> In an effort to increase my veg repertoire I bought some kale. I
> sauteed some onion and garlic, put in the kale with some dry pepper
> flakes and covered the pan. I cooked it for about 15 minutes, stirring
> now and then. It was horrible. Back to spinach!

When I cook kale, I boil slowly, covered, for about 45 minutes, with some
dried pepper flakes added. Then drain, add a couple tablespoons of vinegar,
dash of sugar, and salt to taste, reheat for 10-15 minutes.


--
Wayne Boatwright @¿@¬
_____________________

Anthony > wrote:

> In an effort to increase my veg repertoire I bought some kale. I
> sauteed some onion and garlic, put in the kale with some dry pepper
> flakes and covered the pan. I cooked it for about 15 minutes, stirring
> now and then. It was horrible. Back to spinach!

First, fresh kale (there is no reason to try any other kind), like any
other vegetable, has to be of good quality to taste good. It is no
longer kale season in the northern hemisphere. Kale is really good only
after the first frost and thererafter, as long as it is still cold (as
in near-freezing or colder). Second, it requires much longer cooking
time.

Here is a recipe I like which is fairly typical around here. I think I
posted it before.

Grünkohl-Eintopf mit Mettwürstchen und magerem Speck
Kale Stew with little Mettwurst sausages and lean Speck

For 4 servings

1 kg (2.2 pounds) kale
350-400 g (12-14 oz) potatoes
375 g (13 oz) lean Speck (or substitute smoked bacon from the belly)
2 onions
50 g (1.8 oz) goose schmalz
8 Mettwürstchen (real German smoked, coarse ones that tend to be tough
and chewy [but in a pleasant way])

Clean and thoroughly rinse the kale, blanch in salted water and chop
finely. Render the goose schmalz in a pot, add the kale, 250 g (8.8 oz)
Speck and some water, and cook for 30 minutes. Add the Mettwürstchen
and cook for 20 more minutes. Peel and separately cook the potatoes.
Meanwhile, dice the remaining Speck and the onions and cook in a pan
until the fat is rendered. Coarsely mash the potatoes and add them to
the kale. Mix in the rendered Speck and onions.

Victor

"Anthony" > schreef in bericht
oups.com...
> In an effort to increase my veg repertoire I bought some kale. I
> sauteed some onion and garlic, put in the kale with some dry pepper
> flakes and covered the pan. I cooked it for about 15 minutes, stirring
> now and then. It was horrible. Back to spinach!
>

I love kale. Here in Hollan,d it is typically used for only one recipe:
stamppot boerenkool. Cut up kale is cooked until done (20-40 minutes). I
need about 20 mins for the froznen stuff, fresh takes longer. Then it is
added to mashed potatoes. It's served with (smoked) sausage and gravy and
fried bits of bacon. Some people likd to have gherkins or piccalilly on the
side, or mustard. SOmetimes I ad freid onions to the mash. My mother also
added cooked barley to it (good for texture).

So I'd say, give it another try cooking it longer.

Jeffrey Steingarten says it takes about 8-10 tries before a new, "strange"
food tastes good, the tries being in smalllish quantities. So maybe you
could give another 9 tries

> I love kale. Here in Hollan,d it is typically used for only one recipe:
> stamppot boerenkool. Cut up kale is cooked until done (20-40 minutes). I
> need about 20 mins for the froznen stuff, fresh takes longer. Then it is
> added to mashed potatoes. It's served with (smoked) sausage and gravy and
> fried bits of bacon. Some people likd to have gherkins or piccalilly on
> the side, or mustard. SOmetimes I ad freid onions to the mash. My mother
> also added cooked barley to it (good for texture).
>
> So I'd say, give it another try cooking it longer.
>
> Jeffrey Steingarten says it takes about 8-10 tries before a new, "strange"
> food tastes good, the tries being in smalllish quantities. So maybe you
> could give another 9 tries
>
PS I tied jarred kale once. Never again, it was horrible.

"Michael "Dog3" Lonergan" > wrote in message
6.121...
> Puester > news:Svq6g.42335$eR6.41252@bgtnsc04-
> news.ops.worldnet.att.net:
>
>> Anthony wrote:
>>> In an effort to increase my veg repertoire I bought some kale. I
>>> sauteed some onion and garlic, put in the kale with some dry pepper
>>> flakes and covered the pan. I cooked it for about 15 minutes, stirring
>>> now and then. It was horrible. Back to spinach!
>>>
>>
>> It is definitely an acquired taste. I don't think 15 minutes is long
>> enough to tenderize it. Kale is tough, strong flavored and very strong
>> smelling. My ancestors used it in soup but i have always preferred
>> collards instead. Either way, I don't think I've made the soup in 20
>> years. It was never my favorite.
>>
>> gloria p
>
> A long time ago, when I was inspired by Emeril, I made his mother's
> (allegedly) Portugese Kale Soup. It was pretty good IIRC. Here is the
> recipe.
>
> Portuguese Sausage and Kale Soup
>
>
> Ingredients:
> 2 tablespoons olive oil
> 3 cups Portuguese Sausage (Linguica or Chourico), about 14 ounces, sliced,
> 1/2-inch thick
> 1 medium onion, chopped
> 2 large potatoes, peeled, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
> 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
> 1 tablespoons minced fresh garlic
> 10 to 12 cups unsalted chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth
> 4 cups curly kale, about 4 ounces, stems trimmed, torn in pieces
> 2 bay leaves
> Salt to taste
> 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
> 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
> 2 tablespoons Bayou Blast
> 5 turns ground black pepper
> 1/3 cup minced fresh mint
>
> Directions
> Heat oil in a large pot over high heat. Add Portuguese sausage and onion;
> cook, stirring, until onions begin to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add
> potatoes,
> parsley and garlic. Cook, stirring, 2 minutes.
>
> Add 10 cups stock or broth and kale; heat to a boil. Add bay leaves, salt,
> thyme, pepper flakes Bayou Blast and black pepper. Reduce heat and simmer,
> uncovered, until potatoes are tender, 20 to 25 minutes, adding more stock
> if necessary.
>
> Skim fat from surface and ladle into large bowls. Top with mint; let stand
> a minute or two before serving.
>
> *Note: Be sure to use curly kale rather than decorative or ornamental
> kale.
> Curly kale, a non-heading member of the cabbage family, has frilly, dark
> green leaves and is sold in bunches
>
> Preparation time: 25 minutes
> Cooking time: 30 minutes
> Makes 16 cups
>
> Michael
> --
> "The first zucchini I ever saw I killed it with a hoe."

Michael, I finished left-overs today of Portuguese soup. I usually play it
by ear, but it is/was very much like you make it. This time as I prepared
my own chicken stock, I left some of the chicken breast in the soup as
well - not a lot, though. I usually add a couple of tablespoons of
vegetable stock (Superior brand-very concentrated herbs - no other herbs
needed unless you want to, if you use this brand.) One thing I did add
this time that I never had before was about 2" of the tip of a nice parsnip,
diced finely. You could discern it, but it made it just a little bit better
for us. Try it next time if you have a spare parsnip around if you like
parsnips.
If you don't overcook it, and if you have the kale small enough that it
doesn't stick in your throat, it will be done at the same time as your
potatoes, etc. I leave out the hot when cooking because DH prefers it
normal, but I add some pepper flakes to mine at the table.
I love this soup, too.
Dee Dee





Mi
> John Gould, Monstrous Depravity, 1963

"Michael "Dog3" Lonergan" > wrote in message
6.121...

Michael - I'll tell you a secret about kale, but don't reveal this to anyone
else here in this newsgroup, OK? If you're trimming the fatter stems from
kale, and feed them into the disposal, it will first turn into something as
strong as the fat rope used on huge ships, and then, into concrete. It's a
great dinner party trick, especially if you're at the home of someone you
don't like. If they want to use their sink any more that evening, they'll
need to have plumbing tools handy, and probably a new disposal.

I learned this many years ago in my first house. It marked the beginning of
my love affair with large pipe wrenches.

"Michael "Dog3" Lonergan" > wrote in message
6.121...
> Puester > news:Svq6g.42335$eR6.41252@bgtnsc04-
> news.ops.worldnet.att.net:
>
>> Anthony wrote:
>>> In an effort to increase my veg repertoire I bought some kale. I
>>> sauteed some onion and garlic, put in the kale with some dry pepper
>>> flakes and covered the pan. I cooked it for about 15 minutes, stirring
>>> now and then. It was horrible. Back to spinach!
>>>
>>
>> It is definitely an acquired taste. I don't think 15 minutes is long
>> enough to tenderize it. Kale is tough, strong flavored and very strong
>> smelling. My ancestors used it in soup but i have always preferred
>> collards instead. Either way, I don't think I've made the soup in 20
>> years. It was never my favorite.
>>
>> gloria p
>
> A long time ago, when I was inspired by Emeril, I made his mother's
> (allegedly) Portugese Kale Soup. It was pretty good IIRC. Here is the
> recipe.
>
> Portuguese Sausage and Kale Soup

That soup is delicious. And, if you back off on the sausage, you can drop in
some shrimp & scallops a few minutes before serving.

Anthony wrote:
> In an effort to increase my veg repertoire I bought some kale. I
> sauteed some onion and garlic, put in the kale with some dry pepper
> flakes and covered the pan. I cooked it for about 15 minutes, stirring
> now and then. It was horrible. Back to spinach!


I'll come clean: I'm a kale eater. I don't even worry about what
season I buy the kale in. I eat kale in soups and as a vegetable side
dish. The secret is in thinking of it like cabbage. People take one
look at kale and think "spinach." They try to cook it like spinach and
pronounce it tough, or they cook it to death and pronounce it bitter or
weird flavored. If you imagine it as a substitute for cabbage instead,
there are many nice possibilities.


Raw-- Cole slaw is good if the cabbage is thinly sliced or shredded.
Same for kale.


Stir-fry-- Same deal. I slice kale in thin strips, toss it hot oil and
add julienne carrots. Then sesame seeds, ginger, a drop of tamari, a
drop of vinegar, are all nice.


Water methods-- I cook broccoli the same way. I bring a pot of water
to a boil, add the stemmed kale, take the pot off the heat, cover, and
time exactly 5 minutes. Then drain, cool enough to where it can
squeezed with my bare hands and squeeze out the water. Then butter,
salt and pepper. (I don't like to second-guess other people's tastes
and experience, but the idea of cooking kale for 15-20 minutes is absurd
in my book.)


That last one reminds me of this advice. Throw away the stems. That
might be where the idea of over-cooking comes from. I hold the rib in
my left hand and strip the leaf off with my right. The leaf then goes
straight into the collandar for washing. When you don't have to worry
about getting the stem tender, the leaf cooks up nicely.


--Lia

Julia Altshuler wrote:
> in my book.)
>
>
> That last one reminds me of this advice. Throw away the stems. That
> might be where the idea of over-cooking comes from. I hold the rib in
> my left hand and strip the leaf off with my right. The leaf then goes
> straight into the collandar for washing. When you don't have to worry
> about getting the stem tender, the leaf cooks up nicely.
>
>
That was definitely the problem. I included the stems and the cooking
time was then a compromise which worked for neither part. Thanks.

Julia Altshuler wrote:
> Anthony wrote:
> > In an effort to increase my veg repertoire I bought some kale. I
> > sauteed some onion and garlic, put in the kale with some dry pepper
> > flakes and covered the pan. I cooked it for about 15 minutes, stirring
> > now and then. It was horrible. Back to spinach!
>
>
> I'll come clean: I'm a kale eater. I don't even worry about what
> season I buy the kale in. I eat kale in soups and as a vegetable side
> dish. The secret is in thinking of it like cabbage.

The secret is that kale is not "like" cabbage... kale IS cabbage.

Sheldon

Anthony > wrote:

>Julia Altshuler wrote:

>> That last one reminds me of this advice. Throw away the stems. That
>> might be where the idea of over-cooking comes from. I hold the rib in
>> my left hand and strip the leaf off with my right. The leaf then goes
>> straight into the collandar for washing. When you don't have to worry
>> about getting the stem tender, the leaf cooks up nicely.

>That was definitely the problem. I included the stems and the cooking
>time was then a compromise which worked for neither part. Thanks.

Yes, the stripping technique described above saves a lot of
time. I usually discard stems above the point where they're
greater than maybe a quarter inch across. If I'm in a hurry
I end up also discarding some small fraction of leaf that has
still stuck to the stems after stripping; If I'm not in a hurry
I will recover these. Regardless you must allocate three
to five minutes to wash, strip, and chop a large head of kale.

Steve

Julia Altshuler > writes:


>
> Stir-fry-- Same deal. I slice kale in thin strips, toss it hot oil
> and add julienne carrots. Then sesame seeds, ginger, a drop of
> tamari, a drop of vinegar, are all nice.

Mmmm.... sounds real tasty. I'll give it a try. Thnx.

> might be where the idea of over-cooking comes from. I hold the rib in
> my left hand and strip the leaf off with my right. The leaf then goes
> straight into the collandar for washing.

That's how I learned to prepare greens, from a loving article by
Leontyne Price. I find it almost therapeutic to sit and clean greens
while watching the tube.

nb