Kale for Kayla

Kale: the ancestor to cabbage? Or cabbage gone wild?

What do you do with kale, my friend asked. This green leafy plant is currently appearing in the Green Market in Santa Cruz.  And it's so openly green and alive that it must be good for something! It belongs in the family Brassica Oleracea, the same family of plants that includes cauliflower, broccoli, collard greens. Kale is considered a variety of wild cabbage. Its leaves do not form a head, and may be dark green, purple or curly.

Kale leaves dehydrate quickly in a 350 degree oven, in 10 minutes

It is related to the dark green leafy bunches called Kai-lan by the Chinese. Kale has a tougher texture than other leaves, like patchoi or mustard or lettuce. And though younger leaves may be use to add flavour to a raw salad, the mature leaves are usually steamed, or baked.

The leaves keep their shape, and may be served as a crunchy snack

Wash and drain fresh kale leaves. Trim the stems. Lay the leaves flat - or as flat as possible on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with olive oil and sea salt. Bake at 350 degrees for ten minutes. The leaves dehydrate quickly into delicate "chips" with a lovely flavour. These leaves are delicious as a pre-dinner snack, or an appetizer with drinks.

They retain their colour too

Kale is rich in vitamins, especially C, K and B, and trace elements like manganese, potassium and calcium.  So you see how good these leaves could be for a body.

The mid-ribs are crisp and chewy too.

My pre-teen friend Kayla couldn't get enough of these leaves. So baked kale might be a good way to introduce your youngsters to interesting new green edible leaves.

It's not hard to eat these leaves in one sitting!