Kale – the other green leaf
Posted by by Bea James, senior manager of organic, natural and sustainable programs
Friday, October 5, 2012
Kale should win an award for being one of the biggest underdogs in the garden to take the leafy green world by storm. Kale is everywhere in the market these days. Curley kale, Dino kale, Redbor kale, kale chips; and then you’ve got your kale in soups, salads and smoothies and out west, trend setting natural foodies are starting to drink kale juice, straight up. Move over wheat grass.
Once regarded by gardeners as nothing more than one of fall’s most widely used decorative plant, kale has finally risen from the landscape as a magnificent super food. Though greens in general are nutritious foods, kale stands a head above the rest. Not only is kale one of your best sources of beta-carotene (an antioxidant believed by many nutrition experts to be a major player in the battle against cancer, heart disease and certain age-related chronic diseases), but it also provides a decent amount of vitamin C, folic acid, vitamin B6, manganese and potassium. Kale, you are so awesome.
All varieties of kale are highly nutritious, delicious and simple to prepare. Here’s one of my favorite ways to prepare raw kale:
Raw Kale Salad
First wash the leaf and remove the entire woody center stem by folding the leaf in half and tearing the stem out.
Next, tear the remaining leaf into one inch pieces until you have about 4 cups of torn, fresh kale.
Coat the kale with the following dressing:
- ¼ cup sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon Bragg’s Liquid Amino Acid
- ½ tablespoon Bragg’s Nutritional Yeast Flakes
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Whisk all the dressing ingredients together, pour over prepared kale and gently massage the dressing into the kale. The oil and acid from the lemon will tenderize and brighten the kale leaves.
This easy recipe can be eaten just as it is and is highly nutritious. Add tofu, chicken or seafood for a wholesome meal. Try this recipe and let me know what you think!
We offer several varieties of kale in our produce departments, including organic selections.
For those of you who want an easier way to get kale in your diet, check out our deli where we have this mighty green available daily in our salad bar or packaged and ready to go from Brads Raw Leafy Kale snacks, also located in our deli.