IN SEASON
Cooking with Kale
Kale can be found in two varieties in the UK: a fl at-leaved variant, and the curly kale that’s the main staple of the kale that we grow, buy and eat. It’s available all year round, and the smaller heads are best, as they tend to be more tender. Best used within two or three days of buying, kale can be eaten raw, wilted, boiled, steamed or stir-fried, and it’s becoming increasingly popular, as India Langley of The Community Farm, just outside Bristol, tells us…
“While all that rain last August was bad for
your summer holidays, it was perfect for brassica growing. The quality and
quantity of this year’s kale was spectacular
at The Community Farm. We've had a bumper crop with
yields about 20% over what we usually expect. We started picking it in August of 2016 and by Christmas we had harvested and packed more than two tonnes of kale.
Traditionally in UK the season for kale has been October to February. Growers love it because of its hardiness. It can survive through the worst of the winter frost and snow and still give a reliable supply of bright, nutritious leafy greens in January and February when there's little else left in the fi eld. In fact kale even becomes sweeter after a frost, making it the perfect vegetable for the cooler seasons.
Over the last fi ve years the demand from customers for kale has increased to the point that we struggle to keep up with it; we could sell kale every month of the year if we could fi nd a way togrow it. The demand means that we now sow and plant kale earlier in the year so we can start selling it in the summer.
Kale is such a winning combination of nutritious and delicious that it is hard to believe that it was traditionally grown as cattle feed. Kale can be eaten young in salads, or cut and come again. It can withstand a lot of cooking but is also delicious cooked lightly, or even eaten raw. Kale works well with Asian fl avours. Try making your own version of the take-away classic “crispy seaweed” by drizzling with oil; sprinkling with salt and Chinese fi ve-spice and baking on a low heat until dry.”
28 | THE WEST COUNTRY FOODLOVER
KALE CRISPS WITH CASHEW NUTS & PAPRIKA
These crisps are a healthy vegetable snack that feels a little bit naughty. To make them, you need to dehydrate the kale in the oven rather than bake it, which means a little patience is required for your crispy treats.
30g cashew nuts 1 tsp rapeseed oil 500g kale 1 tsp paprika A pinch of fl aked sea salt
1 Preheat your oven to 70C / Gas low. Soak the cashew nuts in water for 20 minutes.
SERVES 8
2 Drain the nuts and place them in a blender with the rapeseed oil and 50ml water. Blitz for about 5 minutes until completely smooth. Add more water if necessary: the consistency should be similar to single cream.
3 Take the kale leaves off the stalk and tear them into bite-sized pieces. Place in a large bowl and pour over the cashew cream. Toss with your hands to ensure that every piece is coated.
4 Spread out the kale on a baking tray and sprinkle with the paprika and sea salt. Dry out in the heated oven for about 1 hour until crispy. Leave to cool. The crisps can be kept in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
The Detox Kitchen by Lily Simpson, published by Bloomsbury
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