Coping with King Kale

It's not delicate like royalty!  It withstands rough treatment: cold weather (frost makes it sweeter), long storage (guilty!) and rough handling (Frank, are you listening?).

With long stems and voluminous springy curlicue leaves, a head of Kale takes up a whole grocery bag.  When you get it home there's no way it's going to fit into the vegetable crisper.  It takes up half a shelf in my refrigerator.  Now what?  I've stumbled over the answer to that question for years and usually ended up throwing out the limp two week old (usually month old ) remains.

Not anymore!   This week, I wrestled the mass of resilient greens from my grocery bag and, skipping the refrigerator altogether, went straight to the chopping block.  I chopped off the stems, sliced off the thick ribs, cut the leaves into pieces, rinsed them under cold water, and made the most delicious soup:  Portuguese Spicy Kale Soup.   

 The recipe comes from Vegan Fire & Spice by Robin Robertson, my 'go to'  source for fiery, spicy plant-based dishes. 

The soup holds up for days in the refrigerator - the kale doesn't break down like more delicate greens.

Here's some valuable information about Kale from http://www.foodreference.com/, a website devoted to food facts and trivia.  "Kale resembles 'wild' cabbage, and may be the ancestor to all of our modern common cabbage varieties. Kale is a hardy and hearty green, and has been cultivated for over 2,000 years.  One cup of kale provides more than the daily requirement of vitamins A and C. It is also a good source of calcium and fiber. Like other greens, kale descends from wild cabbage that originated in Asia Minor though it is known for it’s popularity in Scandinavia, Germany, Holland and Scotland. Kale was brought to the United States in the 17th century by English settlers. It is now a favorite in the southern United States where, like many cooking greens, it has been considered a poor man’s food.   Like most cooking greens, kale can grow in colder temperatures and withstand frost — which actually helps produce even sweeter leaves. Kale can also grow well in the hot weather in the southern United States and in poor soil. Kale is an excellent source of vitamin A, folic acid, and vitamin C and contains both protein and fiber."