All About Kale
From Storage to Creating a Great Zuppa Toscana
I grew up in a household where vegetables were of pretty simple varieties - corn, peas, green beans and the occasional zucchini. Brussel sprouts were a delicacy and any lettuce other than iceberg was certainly special. I had a feeling there were more vegetables out there, but I couldn't quite figure out what they were.
I've learned a lot since then. For instance, beet greens are not only edible but they really taste good as a bruschetta. And fiddlehead greens have a really unique taste and texture. And then there is this whole world of leafy greens beyond lettuce and spinach.
In any case, back to this leafy green: kale. My husband loves Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana soup, so I decided to try making it at home. I searched the internet and found literally dozens of recipes for it. Each had things good and bad about them, and many called for different types of greens such as Swiss chard or Kale. Using the differing recipes as a guideline and drafted my own. It was received with rave reviews from both my husband and from the much harder to please stepson. And of course, my son loved it.
ABOUT KALE:
Kale is a variety of cabbage. The kale I purchased had curly edged leaves, though there are other varieties with flat leaves and the such. Kale likes cooler weather and is grown widely in North America and Europe. Kale is rich in nutrients including Vitamin A, Vitamin K, and Vitamin C.
CHOOSING KALE:
Kale should have firm, deep green leaves that are free from spotting, wilting or discoloration.
STORING KALE:
Kale should be stored in cool places like the refrigerator crisper drawer, while wrapped in a lightly moist paper towel and stored in a plastic bag. It can also be frozen fresh.
Zuppa Toscana
Serves 6-8
4 cups water
4 cups chicken broth
3 large potatoes, sliced thick
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 lb. spicy Italian sausage, browned and crumbled
1/2 lb. bacon, browned and crumbled
2 cups kale, finely chopped
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine the water, broth, potatoes, garlic, and onion into a pot. Cook over high heat until the potatoes are fork tender.
Stir in the sausage and bacon and simmer for 10 minutes.
Stir in kale and heavy cream and season with salt and pepper.
Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes.
Serve warm with toasty bread.
Published by Sarah Caron
As a professional journalist with nearly eight years experience, my work has been published in a number of online and print forums. View profile
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- Kale is a variety of cabbage.
- Kale leaves should be firm and deep green.
- Kale can be frozen fresh for year round usage
1 Comments
Post a CommentVery helpful article. I'll try your recipe in the future. Thanks so much. :-)