Kale continues to amaze me, especially this time of year. Not only does it survive cold temperatures, it shines. The flavor gets sweeter and the texture more tender with the shorter, cooler days. It's a vegetable that's hard not to love.
Kale is actually a primitive cabbage, related to the rutabaga. Kale will last into winter, and even into the spring if protected in the garden with a winter row cover.
There are a wide number of varieties on the market from different origins.
Red Russian
Red Russian is a thin-leaf variety that looks like a rutabaga, without the root. Leaves are green with red veins.
Try it finely chopped and tossed with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic for a raw salad.
Bor Kales
These varieties, which include the Redbor, Starbor and Winterbor, look like headless, frilly cabbage.
Dinosaur Kale (Lacinato)
This classic variety can also be called, “palm cabbage,” for its unusually shaped leaves.
The leaves stay crunchy when cooked, making this variety a great choice for soups and stews.
Kalette
This variety is actually a cross between kale and Brussels sprouts. It grows on a stem like Brussels sprouts, but instead of small cabbages forming along the stem, it has red kale heads.
Try tossing Kalette heads into a bowl of Chinese noodles.
Which variety makes the best Kale chips?
Scots Kale seems to make the best kale chips.
This week’s garden tip
Don't worry if this warm fall weather has your bulbs sprouting. They will stop growing with the colder weather without any damage.
