Kale: A Beginner's Guide to Growing and Enjoying This Super Green
Hello! Today, we'll take a quick look at kale, the nutrient-packed leafy green that’s a favorite among health enthusiasts and gardeners alike. Whether you’re new to gardening or a seasoned pro, kale is a fantastic addition to your garden. Let's explore the different varieties, planting tips, care instructions, and some delicious ways to use kale in healthy recipes!
Why Grow Kale?
Kale is not only incredibly nutritious but also hardy and easy to grow. It’s packed with vitamins A, C, and K and calcium, iron, and antioxidants. Plus, it’s versatile in the kitchen and can be used in a variety of dishes. What’s not to love?
Varieties of Kale
Curly Kale: This is the most common variety with ruffled leaves and a bright green color. It’s great for salads, smoothies, and kale chips.
Lacinato Kale (Dinosaur Kale): Known for its dark blue-green leaves and bumpy texture, Lacinato kale is perfect for soups and stews. This variety’s magnificent flavor is even better when grown, harvested, and enjoyed fresh.
Red Russian Kale: This variety has flat, fringed leaves with a purple tinge. It’s tender and sweet and great for raw salads. Baby greens can be harvested around 21 days after germination.
Siberian Kale: Extremely cold-hardy, this kale has large, flat leaves that are excellent for cooking.
Tips for Beginners
Start Small: If you’re new to gardening, start with a few plants in a small part of the garden or in containers.
Sunny Spot: Kale thrives in full sun but can tolerate partial shade. If you live in a very hot climate or grow in a very hot microclimate, be prepared to protect your kale from the sun if it needs it.
Good Soil: Use well-drained, fertile soil enriched with compost for the best growth.
Heat Matters: Cool weather helps produce a sweeter flavor, while a hot climate may make your kale bitter.
Planting Kale
What You’ll Need:
Kale seeds or transplants
A sunny spot in your garden or pots with good drainage
Compost or well-draining soil
Watering can or hose
When to Plant:
Seeds: Sow seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost or directly outdoors 2-4 weeks before the last frost in spring. You can also plant in late summer for a fall crop.
Transplants: Plant transplants outdoors in early spring or late summer.
Directions:
Prepare the Soil: Loosen the soil in your garden bed or fill your pots with well-draining soil mixed with compost.
Sow the Seeds:
Indoors: Start seeds in a seed tray or small pots, covering them lightly with soil. Keep the soil moist and place the tray in a sunny spot or under grow lights.
Outdoors: Sow 2-3 seeds directly in the garden, about 1/4 inch deep and 12-18 inches apart. We like to sow more than one seed to help make sure we get at least one germination per seed hole.
Transplants: If you’re using transplants, space them 12-18 inches apart in rows that are 18-24 inches apart.
Watering: Water gently to keep the soil moist but not waterlogged. Consistent moisture is key, especially during germination.
Germination: Seeds typically germinate in 5-10 days. Once they’ve sprouted, thin the seedlings to about 12-18 inches apart.
Caring for Your Kale
Watering: Keep the soil consistently moist, especially during dry periods. Kale prefers regular watering but can tolerate some drought.
Feeding: When needed, a light feeding of balanced fertilizer every few weeks will keep your kale thriving. This may not be necessary for thriving soil full of organic matter. The best way to know if your kale needs food is to look for signs of stress.
Weeding: Keep the area around your kale free of weeds to reduce competition for nutrients.
Mulching: Mulch around the plants to retain moisture and suppress weeds.
Harvesting Kale
You can start harvesting kale when the leaves are about the size of your hand. Pick the outer leaves first, leaving the central leaves to keep growing. Kale can be harvested continuously throughout the growing season.
Using Kale in Healthy Recipes
The fun part comes after all the work and patience spent growing and caring for your kale! Let’s look at some ways to enjoy our harvest.
Kale Smoothies: Blend kale with fruits like bananas, apples, and berries, along with some almond milk or water for a nutritious smoothie.
Kale Chips: Toss kale leaves with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt, then bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10-15 minutes until crispy. Try other kinds of oils, like truffle oil, to add different flavors to your kale chips.
Kale Salad: Massage chopped kale leaves with olive oil and lemon juice, then toss with your favorite veggies and a light dressing. The lemon will cook the kale, making it crisp and flavorful.
Kale Soup: Add chopped kale to your favorite vegetable or bean soup for added nutrition and flavor. The texture will be a perfect cross between crunch and soft.
Stir-Fries: Add chopped kale to stir-fries for a quick and healthy addition.
Recipe Idea: THE BEST SHREDDED KALE SALAD by OhSheGlows.com
FOR THE SALAD AND DRESSING:
2 medium bunches of destemmed lacinato/dinosaur kale, finely chopped (8 to 9 cups/300 to 340 g chopped)
2 large garlic cloves
1/4 cup (60 mL) fresh lemon juice
3 to 4 tablespoons (45 to 60 mL) extra-virgin olive oil, to taste
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (just eyeball it)
1/4 to 1/2 cup (35 to 70 g) dried sweetened cranberries for garnish
FOR THE PECAN PARMESAN:
1 cup (120 g) pecan halves, toasted
1 1/2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 pinches fine sea salt
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Spread the pecans onto a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes until fragrant and lightly golden.
Remove the stems from the kale and discard them. (If you are hardcore, you can save them for smoothies!) Finely chop the kale leaves (the smaller, the better).
Wash the kale and spin dry. Place dried kale into a large bowl.
For the dressing: In a mini food processor, process the garlic until minced. Now add the lemon, oil, salt, and pepper and process until combined. Adjust to taste, if desired. Pour the dressing onto the kale and mix it into the kale with your hands or toss with spoons. Keep mixing for about 1 minute to ensure everything is coated perfectly.
For the Pecan Parmesan: Rinse out the mini processor and pat dry. Add the pecans to the processor and process until they are the size of peas or a bit larger. Now add the nutritional yeast, oil, and salt and process again until it has a coarse crumb texture. Be sure not to overprocess—we still want a nice crunchy texture here, not powder.
Sprinkle the Pecan Parmesan all over the salad. Toss on a handful or two of dried cranberries. Wrap and place in the fridge for 30 to 60 minutes to soften, or enjoy it immediately. In the past, I've tried letting this salad sit overnight in the fridge, and I greatly prefer the flavor of the salad served the day of, so I don't recommend making this salad the day before and letting it sit in the fridge overnight.
TIP:
Instead of a mini processor, you can chop/whisk the dressing and pecan "Parmesan" by hand.
For a nut-free version, try using breadcrumbs instead of pecans.
Growing kale is a fantastic way to boost your garden's productivity and your kitchen’s nutrition. It’s easy to grow, requires minimal care, and provides a continuous supply of delicious, nutrient-rich leaves.
With love & greenery,
Janet & Jennifer
