Kale convert
Inventive, worldly recipes entice shunner of leafy green to dig in
I’m not a fan of kale. When kale is on a menu and something else is offered, I always feel as if I have been given a Get Out of Kale Free card.
• Recipes | D4
But kale is in season, and it is positively full of vitamins and other things that are good for you. Besides, some people actually like kale.
So I decided to cook up four batches of it to see if there were ways I could come to enjoy it.
And enjoy it I did. If all kale tasted like this, I might become a fan.
I began with Cannellini Beans With
Roasted Red Peppers and Kale, because kale and cannellini beans is truly a world-class flavor combination. They’re terrific together in soup, they’re terrific together in salad and, unsurprisingly, they are terrific together in this dish.
The dish probably began in Italy. The ingredients are traditionally Italian, from olive oil and garlic to white wine, cannellini beans and Parmesan cheese.
Roasted red peppers also are called for, and the recipe from “The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook” suggests that you buy them in a jar. I’d recommend that, too. The red peppers aren’t the star of the show; they are just a supporting player.
Next I made Green Soup
— Caldo Verde — that a Portuguese cookbook calls “the national dish of Portugal.” One taste and you will know why.
The broth in Green Soup is basically a potato soup, rich in onion and garlic, and pureed until it is thickened. The green part comes from kale (or collard greens) that is cut into thin strips and cooked in the broth.
Chorizo adds a nice, spicy bite, and a few drops of the oil the chorizo was cooked in brings it all together into a hearty, memorable meal.
I stayed in the Mediterranean region for Roasted Eggplant and Crispy Kale With Yogurt.
It’s a layered dish, and the bottom layer is essentially tzatziki — a thick yogurt mixed with shredded cucumber, garlic and lemon juice. On top of that goes bite-sized pieces of roasted eggplant. The kale is next, but it has been flash-cooked
so it is lightly scorched and lightly crispy. And the top layer is cherry tomatoes that have been halved and tossed with olive oil and salt.
The last dish I made was the problem child: Kale With Shallots and Olive Oil. The first strike against it was the name. This dish does not have any shallots in it. It has onions — lots and lots of onions — and shallots are in the onion family. But that does not mean they are in this particular recipe.
The second strike was the oil. It calls for one cup of olive oil. That’s eight ounces of olive oil to feed six to eight people. That’s 318 calories apiece for of six servings.
The kale is cooked in coriander and cumin, along with a bucket of olive oil. The spices give the dish a kick, and a dose of lemon juice at the end brings it all home.
As is often the case with problem children, it might be the one I love the most. Makes 6 to 8 servings Recipe from “The New Portuguese Table” by David Leite.
7 tablespoons olive oil, divided 1 large yellow onion, chopped 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes,
peeled and diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups chicken stock
3 cups water
1 bunch kale or collard greens, thick center stems and fibrous veins removed 1 tablespoon cider vinegar,
optional
Salt and pepper (preferably
white pepper)
18 or 24 (¼-inch) slices chorizo
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large pot over medium heat until it shimmers. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until light golden, about 10 minutes. Add potatoes and cook, stirring often, until they start to spot with color, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for
1 minute more.
Pour in the chicken stock and water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the potatoes are falling-apart tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, stack several of the kale leaves and cut into whisker-thin slices. Repeat with the rest of the kale.
Puree the soup using a handheld blender, or liquefy in batches in a food processor. Return it to the pot, and bring it back to a boil. Turn the heat to low, stir in the kale and simmer, uncovered, until just tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Swirl in the vinegar, if using. Season well with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining 5 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the chorizo and cook until crispy,
3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels. Let the chorizo oil cool a bit.
To serve, ladle the soup into warm bowls, crown each with 3 slices of chorizo and drizzle some of the flavored oil from the skillet over the top.
PER SERVING (based on 6): 537 calories, 20 g protein,
22 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 3 g sugar, 41 g fat (12 g saturated), 58 mg cholesterol, 934 mg sodium