A couple of years ago I grew it and it did not thrive. It remained small, which is not typical. I will try again. I hope yours is doing well.

My first reason for growing was like yours, for soup. Especially for minestone, which is a classic made with kale, especially that type of kale. Portuguese kale soup is another.

My other reason was that, in a mild climate, I believe it will last well into, or maybe through, the winter. From the train window, while travelling through Tuscany, I could look into backyard gardens and see cavalo nero growing. This was in late February, early March. I think I was seeing kale which had wintered over.

I have no doubt it would freeze well.

Jim

I think it's gorgeous! Since kale is a cold crop, it will be less bitter if planted for a fall harvest instead of starting it in the spring and picking as the weather get's hotter which will make it bitter. Also, harvesting younger leaves will help.

Everyone has different tastes. What is bitter to some is not to others. Some people are more sensitive than others. I think you should try it for yourself and decide how you prefer it.

Jim,

Sorry to hear yours didn't make it. My potted seedlings are very small at this point but healthy. I'll plant them out around mid Aug. It's been so freaking hot here and very dry.

Yes, nothing like a good minestone soup! yummmm, can't wait!

How cool that you were IN Tuscany!!...one of these days I hope to make it there as well.

Violet, it does look beautiful in pictures, very dramatic. You make a good point that it shouldn't be bitter in fall. I hadn't thought of that.

"How cool that you were IN Tuscany!!...one of these days I hope to make it there as well."

Move that to the top of your to-do list. You will get a whole new outlook on food. In the mean time, read Under the Tuscan Sun by Francis Mayes. But you probably have. Don't bother with the movie.

Jim

I've grown it the past two years and it does very well. I noticed this year that it doesn't like crowding; the ones I direct sowed in April are still small, but the ones I planted farther apart as transplants (started in early March) are huge.

I've never had them take on a bitter flavor. If anything, they're a little sweeter and nuttier than regular kale. They also hold up very well to sautéing and are a fine soup ingredient. Last year they didn't overwinter, but they lasted until the real cold came.

Paula Wolfert, a wonderful Mediterranean cookbook author, is very fond of this ingredient; it appears in several of the recipes in her excellent Mediterranean Grains and Greens. Here is one recipe.

Jim, I have not read Under the Tuscan Sun... nor have I seen the movie. Now I feel deprived. I am going to Ireland next year to reconnect with my ancestral roots. I'm looking forward to trying the local fare.

NY gardener, that recipe sounds delicious and I'll definitely try it. Interesting but I saw a guy today on the food network that made a dish using black kale and white beans. They do seem to pair well. Unfortunately I tuned in a little too late and missed hearing part of the recipe.

I'll get pics of my kale this fall, if nature co-operates, and post them here.

The recipe linked by nygardener is a very good one. I normally make it with escarole, but since we are talking Tuscan kale here, do it with kale. Cannelini beans are good in that recipe. We call it 'Greens and Beans'. It can be used as a topping for pasta. Small shells are good for that. If desired, chopped up Italian sausage can be included.

Jim

Hi,
I planted it out this spring. I winter sowed it. They are good sized plants, very nice looking. Though some of the leaves have been munched on. I haven't tried to eat any. I'm going to wait until fall.
I'll try to remember to come back and comment on taste.
Remy

I grow Tuscan black and Red Russian. I find the latter sweeter and more tender than the former, almost as if it already has butter on it. But both are good and both over-winter in my climate. Both are also handsome plants to have in the garden.

I grew some several years ago from Nichol's Nursery. I enjoyed it cooked, not raw. I don't recall it being bitter per se, but I recall that the flavor was "intense".

There are several cultivars of Tuscan kale. One from Wild Garden Seeds has some other kale mixed in (followed by lots of backcrossing), which is suppposed to make it more vigorous and taste better. (A second from Wild Garden Seeds doesn't look much like dinosaur kale at all because it is a cross with Redbor kale.) There is supposed to be yet another lineage that gets about 6 feet tall. This year's yearbook from Seed Savers Exchange has an entry from Italy which claims to offer"The REAL Tuscany" lineage with a better taste. So I suppose that variation in taste may also have something to do with who produces the seed.

I love kale..and I have some red russian to sew for fall. I cook mine just like I would any green like mustard, collards, turnip...kale is one of my favorites....can't wait to try the Red Russian.

I'm growing it for the first time this year. Heard my guy at the farmer's market was retiring and ordered some seeds in July. Sowed some in a windowbox I have outside, if it gets really cold I'll just bring them inside...I absolutely love this kale and the thought of going without it this year is too depressing to contemplate!

I have a great fasule recipe adapted from my mom's escarole soup. I like tuscan kale 100 times more than escarole anyway! Very simple, but delicious.

Tuscan Kale and Cannelini Fasule
2-4 Tbs olive oil
4-6 Cloves of garlic smashed or sliced
1/2 to 1 lb kale leaves
4-6 C. Vegetable or chicken stock
1 can white cannelini (kidney) beans
Olive oil to taste
Parmesan cheese to taste
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Crusty bread for dunking or as a crouton!

Heat olive oil on medium/high heat in the bottom of stock pot. Add garlic and sautee 3-5 minutes. Add kale a little bit at a time, moving the wilted leaves to the side and adding new leaves as you go. Add more olive oil if it gets dry at the bottom of the pot.

When leaves have lost about half their original size, add stock. Add beans. Simmer until leaves are tender, but not completely soggy. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve soup hot with grated parmesan cheese grated and a splash of olive oil. And some hot crusty bread, of course! :)

Heaven. And it keeps in the freezer for months. I usually make a ton in the summer and take it to work all winter. Now hopefully I will be harvesting well into the winter if things go well.

Another good source is Seeds from Italy, who also offer lots of other "heritage" Italian vegetables and herbs.

I just started my fall seed planting of cavalo nero aka Tuscan kale a few days ago. I absolutely LOVE it!

I first had it at my favourite restaurant in San Francisco. It was sauteed with garlic and olive oil (I presume it was blanched first) and served with a pan cooked skate wing with browned butter and a reduction made of some type of berry.

I then had it again in a creamy hearty soup at Olive Garden. I usually don't like anything at Olive, but this was superb. Here's the recipe:

Zuppa Toscana

Makes: 6-8 servings

INGREDIENTS
1 lb ground Italian sausage
1½ tsp crushed red peppers
1 large diced white onion
4 Tbsp bacon pieces
2 tsp garlic puree
10 cups water
5 cubes of chicken bouillon
1 cup heavy cream
1 lb sliced Russet potatoes, or about 3 large potatoes
¼ of a bunch of kale (I use Tuscan kale instead and let it simmer a minute longer)
Sautee Italian sausage and crushed red pepper in pot. Drain excess fat, refrigerate while you prepare other ingredients.

In the same pan, sautee bacon, onions and garlic for approxiamtly 15 mins. or until the onions are soft.
Mix together the chicken bouillon and water, then add it to the onions, bacon and garlic. Cook until boiling.

Add potatoes and cook until soft, about half an hour.
Add heavy cream and cook until thoughouly heated.
Stir in the sausage.
Add kale just before serving.

Maiko - I hope your window boxes are large ones. Kales can grow pretty big and need a good root run. I have had trouble pulling up the plants at the end of the season in the past because they get to rival small trees. I grow them about 2 and a half to three feet apart and they can grow as tall and as wide as that too.

Ummmm...all of the recipes sound soo good, I can't wait to try them. I have 20 seedlings in all and I plan on freezing quite a bit of kale. I absolutely love soup in winter and this sounds like a great soup ingredient.

Ruthie, I grew up on collards and turnip greens. I love em! Never had kale tho till I moved further north. I'm also growing a few red russian.

Tuscan kale is great.
Try Kale chips:
Cut out and disguard ribs.
Preheat oven to 350.
Brush both sides of leaves with oil.
Sprinkle with salt.
Spread in one layer on a cookie sheet.
Bake about 6 minutes or until crisp but not burned.
Everyone will love them.