Teresa, there are lots of good recipes for kale on the CF link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Greens Cookalong

I make all sorts of variations of the combination below by dumping everything in a crockpot for four hours. Sometimes adding boneless, skinless chicken, sometimes Yukon Golds, omitting the rice, adding Thai peppers, etc.

Kale Curry Soup
1 tsp. olive oil
1 small onion, diced medium
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
3/4 cups basmati or jasmine rice, rinsed
6 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon salt
2 to 3 tablespoons red curry paste
1 bunch purple kale, pulled from stems and torn into bite size pieces
1 large sweet potato, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 can lite coconut milk
1 tablespoon agave syrup
Juice of one lime
Optional: fresh chopped cilantro to garnish

I am editing to add a link to the first curried kale soup I made. This one got me started on all the variations. We love it!

Here is a link that might be useful: Curried Chicken and Kale Soup

This post was edited by kitchendetective on Wed, Apr 2, 14 at 9:35

Here is a recipe we love, especially in cold weather. I call it the Winter Peasant dish:

Smoked Sausage and Kale
Ingredients:
2 pkgs. smoked sausage or Kielbasa, sliced into 2-inch pieces
6 large potatoes, cubed into large pieces, approx. 1/1/2 inches
1 large onion, sliced
2 cups baby carrots, whole
1 bunch kale or collards, washed and trimmed, or one small cabbage, cut into wedges
1 cup chicken stock
ü stick butter or olive oil
salt, pepper to taste
crushed red pepper flakes to taste (optional)
Directions:
In dutch oven, on medium-high, heat butter or oil, add sausage and brown on all sides. Add onions, potatoes, carrots, stir about 1 minute. Add kale or cabbage, salt, pepper, red pepper, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, stir until kale has wilted, then turn down heat to simmer, covered, cook about 2 hours. Or put in a 300 degree oven for about 2 hours. DonâÂÂt forget to make cornbread!

Kale and collard are in the same family. Kale slightly more bitter?.
Remove the tough center ribs, like collards, and rolland pack tightly, then slice thin.
I like the bitter taste but you can add lemon at the end of cooking or fresh squeezed orange.
Southern collards are often too overcooked and boiled for me. But some treat them the same way.
Similar cooking time.
A modern 'trendy' way is to slice very thin, then massage with ev olive oil, some lemon, let rest like a coleslaw, and eat raw like a salad. With toasted nuts, a sliced fruit, a pear or apple mixed in and topped with a chunk style cheese...blue, goat, or fetta.

I also make crispy toasted chips in the oven on low heat for a snack.

Kale was almost a daily staple in my FILs kitchen. It went into soups. stews, as a bed for roast chicken, popped up lots of places.

But often, he would wash, coarsely chop. Heat olive oil (only oil ever in his pantry) in a pan on stove, add garlic (garlic went into everything ;) cook till softened and golden. Add kale and some liquid (just enough to create some steam, maybe 1/2 C?), water, broth, even leftover wine, cook and toss until liquid gone - seems like maybe 8-10 minutes at which point it was usually overcooked - he liked everything well done. 5 or 6 minutes is more reasonable for young kale. Salt/pepper and a splash of wine vinegar, then onto a platter and table.

When he had new potatoes to dig, he would cook those in large pot close to done, drain much of the liquid and add kale, garlic, drizzle with olive oil after a few minutes cooking.

Here is my family's favorite recipe, we use Tuscan Kale. it is quick, easy and yummy!

Here is a link that might be useful: Sauteed Kale

Thank you all for your help and recipes! Lots of good things to make with kale - I can't wait to get cookin'!

Teresa

Whatever else you do with kale, DON'T let it die of loneliness in your crisper drawer. When I have more than I can get used in a timely manner, I'll dehydrate it. When it's crispy dry, I keep it stored in a quart jar with a tight-fitting lid stored in a dark, cool cabinet, because light and heat will damage it and alter the color.

You can add the dried crushed leaves to soooooooo many things, almost like adding fresh or dried parsley. I stick it into meatloaf, soup, tuna/salmon patties, bean burgers, sprouted seed patties.... Add it to a dried herb mixtures. I recently made a clumpy granola-like mixture we use for snacking: dried kale, dates, unsweetened coconut, raisins, almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds and cinnamon (still working on the recipe).

-Grainlady

a favorite kale salad
1 bunch kale (black kale is especially good), stalks removed and discarded, leaves chiffonaded
the juice of one lemon
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
Kosher salt
2 teaspoons honey
Freshly ground black pepper
apple diced small (about 1 cup)
Small handful toasted nuts ( i use sliced almonds )
some diced preserved lemon (to taste)(optional)

Directions

In large serving bowl, add the kale, half of lemon juice, a drizzle of oil and a little kosher salt. Massage until the kale starts to soften and wilt, 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside while you make the dressing.

In a small bowl, whisk remaining lemon juice with the honey and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Stream in the 1/4 cup of oil while whisking until a dressing forms, and you like how it tastes.

Pour the dressing over the kale, and add the fruits and nuts. Toss and serve.

First of all, to Grainlady: There is no such thing as too much kale! I love it.

I strip out the center ribs and cut them about 1/4" thick. Then I tear the leaves into large bite-size pieces and wash everything, keeping the chopped ribs separate from the leaves. I heat about 1/4" chicken broth (or water's okay) in a wide sauté pan and throw in 1 or 2 chopped garlic cloves and a couple of tablespoons of good olive oil. Then simmer the stems for a couple of minutes, pile the leaves on top, cover and steam. Take the cover off once and mix everything up for even steaming. Works with whatever type kale the farmers market is selling. Sometimes I buy beets at the same time and wash and steam the beet leaves with the kale.

Make kale chips. I love them. They are like healthy potato chips.

I love a plain kale salad with pickled beets, dried cranberries, apples, and walnuts, with a balsamic vinaigrette.

There is such a thing as too much kale!
Chips are very concentrated. Last road trip south in october i came home with a big fresh box.
Once opened, like a shrink-packed down-filled coverlet, it swelled to larger than my fridge and i had to make chips. Love them and ate so much it literally flew through my digestive...(!#+!)

I forgot about this recipe. Modified. Who has a fresh hyssop branch? (dcarch?)
I could not steam in saran...dislike it to begin with. But did shape it round with saran.
A bit fussy but good. Once blanched and formed it does not sit well too long. Gets a bit gamey overnight. I like it as leftovers cooked or salad but not for a guest meal.

Here is a link that might be useful: stuffed kale

We don't usually have leftovers when I make Kale, but when we do, I chop it up and put it in our breakfast scrambles. Well, to be honest, pretty much any vegetable leftovers get chopped up and put in our breakfast scrambles.

Last night I made a quick beef stir-fry with a small piece of sirloin, sliced thin and marinated in soy sauce with garlic and ginger. Added carrots, broccoli, onion, celery and some lightly cooked and chopped kale. Lastly I added some cooked rice to change the whole thing into fried rice. Quite tasty!

My newest favorite pizza topping is baby kale, but you can do the same thing with regular kale minus the thick ribs. Just cut it up and throw handfuls on top of the pizza. They crisp up like kale chips and don't interfere with the cooking of the pizza below. The crispy topping makes for a great contrast and is a lot of fun.

Good idea. I started a full seed tray of different kales a couple months ago that i just stuck in the ground yesterday. I usually direct seed but then have to wait...i should have babies to start harvesting much sooner this year.

Kale is also very nice in casseroles. It doesn't go wet and mushy. But pay attention. When there are bright pink spots in the casserole, before you think, "What the @#% ! kind of mold is THAT?!?" do think whether it was red kale (i.e., pink veins) bleeding all over everything. Lunch today came out of the freezer you see...

I toss a handful of kale in my morning veggie and fruit drink (I call them sludgies). Because I always have it on hand, it tends to end up in lots food. Love the sound of some of these recipes!

By the way, Hyssop might be more familiar as one of its other garden names......Agastache. I call Agastache (ah gah STAH chee) a beesicle because the bees and butterflies love it like crazy. And the goldfinch flock to it when it goes to seed. Beautiful blue long lasting spikes.