Featured Plant: Kale
Friday September 11, 2009
When most other vegetables shiver and die off, kale and other cooking greens sweeten up and tempt. Cooking greens have fallen out of favor in modern kitchens, like most foods that require some time and skill to prepare. But it’s worth the effort to learn how to grow and handle greens, which make a wonderful winter crop in warmer areas and a welcome change of pace on the holiday table. Kale is one of the more versatile 'greens', coming in shades of green, blue, pink, white and gray with leaves that are puckered or down right ruffled. They are as beautiful to look at as they are tasty to eat.
Photo: © Marie Iannotti (2008) licensed to About.com, Inc.
Comments
Kale, always seems bitter tome. I can and do grow spinach and turnip greens until it’s bitterly cold.
Kale needs to be mixed with other greens to sort of hide that bitterness. I have some Russian kale, which I was told was suitable for salads. It is not as bitter as others I have tried, but stands out in a salad like raw parsnip.
The seeds from this variety will be ok to collect, or so I was told.