Kale is cool!
Today I discovered something. Ornamental kale is edible to humans. Who knew? Call me ignorant but I had no idea. In fact, in France we don’t know what to call it, let alone what to do with it.
“The French don’t know from kale.” This according to a New York Times article (September 2013) about “an American woman who embarks on a mission to persuade France to embrace the leafy greens.”
For years I have seen ornamental kale used in street landscaping and home gardens but It never occurred to me that it is genetically the same as kale grown for food crops. So I did some research and learned that while it is edible, some critics say it doesn’t taste as good as the newer culinary varieties.
I spotted the “Chidori” variety at the Farmers Market in Santa Monica. It looked so beautiful I had to grab some.
I really didn’t know what to do with it, so I asked the lady at the stand if she had any suggestions. She said “try it.” I said “Yes, I want to try it. Do you have any suggestions?” She gave me a look. Then she smiled, handed me a leaf and said “try it.” I realized she meant “taste one.” So I did. Wow and wow! It was crazy good. I was expecting it to be bitter and stringy. To my surprise, it was exceptionally sweet and mild. Very tender with non-fibrous stems. “This is really good” I said. “Yes!” she replied, “It is so good, it doesn’t matter how you prepare it. It will still be good.”
Driving back home, I racked my brain to think of a way to use my new discovery. I vaguely remembered seeing a recipe for a warm bitter greens salad with goat cheese. I could not recall where I saw it nor which bitter greens nor which dressing they used. I thought kale is considered a bitter green, so I decided to improvise and use a classic french Dijon mustard vinaigrette with Chidori kale. And boy, was the lady at the Farmers Market right. It turned out delicious.
Whatever you decide to make with the Chidori kale, give it a shot and let me know.
This salad is great for a Sunday brunch or a speedy weeknight dinner. Enjoy!
- 4 soft boiled eggs
- 4 tbs of olive oil
- 4 cloves of garlic thinly sliced
- 1 bag of fresh Chidori kale leaves trimmed
- 4 oz mild goat cheese
- salt and pepper
- Dijon mustard vinaigrette
- In a medium size sauce pan, bring water to boil. Add the eggs, cover and remove from heat. Let stand for 6 to 7 minutes, then drain.
- Hold the eggs under running cold water and gently peel them. Let sit at room temperature.
- In a non-stick pan, heat the olive oil on medium heat. Add, the garlic, kale, some salt and pepper and cook for 3 to 5 minutes just until the kale is wilted.
- Divide the kale between two plates.
- Top each with two halved boiled eggs and chunks of goat cheese.
Serve with toasted country bread and a drizzle of Dijon mustard vinaigrette.
- clove of garlic crushed
- tbs red wine vinegar
- /2 tsp Dijon mustard
- /4 cup olive oil
- /2 tsp kosher salt
- /4 tsp freshly ground pepper
- In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper.
- Slowly add the olive oil and whisk until emulsified.
- Taste and adjust seasoning.
