It’s been frosty. Temperatures have been as low as -6 C overnight and well into the morning. I hadn’t looked out at the vegetable patch in days but I thought the kale was gone. As I cleaned up the garden one day, the frost on the leaves looked ominous. I’d soon be back to buying produce from half a world away rather than picking it ten feet from the back door.
However, I have blanched and frozen some kale for this winter. Raised by parents who grew up during the Great Depression, it pains me to see food go to waste. Besides, in the winter, kale is very costly when it is imported from distant lands and one never knows what it is sprayed with. I hadn’t finished the harvesting of our organic kale before the frost came.
While my husband is not a fan, he eats kale because we grow it. I feel better when I keep kale in my diet, any green vegetable really, though kale is the best. My hip and knees ache much less when kale is on the plate. Maybe it’s psychological, but, whatever works!
Meanwhile out in the garden, the last week of November, the kale is perfect, unaffected by the frost. I picked some for dinner and enough for several days. A little kale goes a long way.
Lets’s face it, if there is a zombie apocalypse, the only things left will be cockroaches and kale. And, the cockroaches will have painless joints.
47 comments:
Hahahahahahaha, your last line!
Kale is actually tastier after a frost. I just had some yesterday, steamed, with lots of other veggies and found it delightful. Good for you, Marie! :-)
A nice Kale surely goes a long way, and its incredible how the weather didn't affect yours. Cockroaches and kale, sure has a nice ring to it. Warm greetings and best wishes!
lol. Funny lady! Kale...I can't eat as much of it as I'd like, with the UC. (as much of any of the vegetables as I'd like, in reality.) Sorry you will be resorting to mass-produced, commercial kale soon. Stay warm!
Cockroaches do seem to be invincible Marie 😀 I must admit I haven't really given kale a proper inning, how do you cook it when you have it, I'm sure that makes all the difference.
Love your humor "cockroaches and kale." Do you have a good recipe for adding kale into your meal for a first timer?
I do love my greens. But rarely eat kale. And himself believes that vegies are the (ornamental) garnish put on a plate to make the meat look better.
I have only grown kale once and it was so tough!!!!! Keep warm Diane
I hadn't considered kale surviving an apocalypse, but good that it would. It's good stuff! We eat a lot of it.
Kale is quite hardy. I found mine would get tough after the weather turned very cold. I only eat it baked for kale chips though. Andrea
Hahaha. That's hilarious. I've never really eaten kale but I'll have to tell my daughter. She probably eats it. But I'll also tell her to think positive and it will improve her achy knees.
I just picked the last of our chard yesterday. Freezing temps are heading our way tonight. You can't beat fresh veggies.
I like Kale. When we lived in Zimbabwe - Africa we had lots of it. The people there had it instead of meat and they were healthy and strong. Kale and (or) collards were widely consumed. They cut it in tiny pieces and fry it in oil then add onions and a bit of tomatoes cut up, delicious! I did not know however that one can freeze Kale!
I don't love kale but maybe I should try to eat it. I don't like vegetables cooked, only raw!
: ))
I buy kale often. I like it raw (in salads), in soups and I love baked kale chips - home made as well!!
I've never eaten kale. I've heard that it has kind of a strong taste. I'm a very picky eater and I've had trouble with green vegetables all my life, but I've been pushing myself to eat more vegetables the last several years. I've been wanting to try kale just because some people in my family that like lots of vegetables say they don't like it.
Kale in England is mainly grown and used for cattle feed. Maybe this is why most people here avoid it, thinking that it isn't suitable for us. I very rarely see it in our local supermarkets or greengrocers. I can't eat it anyway because it would badly affect the anti-arthritis medication I take.
Hate cockroaches! They would survive a holocaust, Debra.
Steamed is great, Jan. I haven’t looked up any recipes. We have it steamed all the time.
Same to you, B.
That UC certainly limits your diet, SW. If I couldn’t eat all sorts of veg, I would have little to eat.
I just steam it, PDP. Well, the young leaves in spring are nice in salad. Also the raw leaves cut fine are nice in soup and stew.
Check what Angela said below too. I’m going to try her combination to use up some of the tomatoes I grew which I have left. Some people make kale chips, thhough we haven’t done it yet.
We steam kale, Celia. Cut up in small pieces and put in soup or stew is good too. I do that with spinach as well. Young keaves are good in salad. There are salad mixes available here which have young kale leaves in them
Truth be known, my husband would be like yours when it comes to veggies. But, he eats them.
I wonder if the variety of kale you had was tough, Diane. Some are more tender than others.
Wise people to eat kale!
I’ve never made kale chips, Andrea. Bet my husband would like those.
It works for me, Barbara.
I don’t like chard as much as kale but I do have it!
Also check out what Angela posted below!
I will try this way too, Angela.
The salad mixes containing young kale might be a way to start, Debbie.
Great ways to enjoy kale, Catarina.
Young kale leaves are available in salad mixes here, Ratty. It isn’t strong.
Lol. I guess it would affect that medication, Keith.
I guess the cattle there have pain free joints, Keith.
I love the sound of Angela's recipe, will definitely try that one, thanks for the tip Marie.
Who knows about the effects on your knees? If it works for you, that's what matters. I've heard pineapple will do the same.
I've never had kale; I have to be careful about how much roughage I consume (sensitive digestive system). Greens of any kind are a "sometimes" treat, ha ha
Kale is a bit rough on the inner workings but really good for you! Or so they say.
Alkaline foods are helpful against inflammation which is why I eat kale, Jenny.
I feel better if I eat it consistently, Shammi.
LOL, Marie, and what a fun post. It's so interesting what Astrid tells me...that the frost is what makes kale tastier. That's what the Dutch wait for...the frost! In the meantime, I'm drinking a lot of ginger tea (from the real root) with added coconut oil. I started it for my cough but have discovered it is also good for good/bed cholesterol, so will make it a daily regimen.
Kale is tasty this time of year, Ginnie. I find ginger tea good for an upset stomach too.
I love kale here too, and have grown a lot of it in my garden this year. It freezes really well too. I add it to my morning smoothie, and to soups. It just blends in with whatever it is in!
I am not a fan of kale but I don't mind it. We have an Amish Bakery nearby that makes the best kale salad, with an apple cider vinegar dressing. We both feel better when we eat kale too!
It is versatile, that’s for sure, Marilyn.
That salad sounds delicious! I always make dressings with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I buy fancy oils and vinegars and try various combinations. We love them!
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