Kale and Raspberries

This year I planted lots of kale- some years I don't plant much, but last winter we had kale in the dead of winter that had been hiding under the snow. That inspired me to try to do it on purpose this year and have some fresh greens in the winter.

I grew 4 varieties this year too- a first for me. I usually plant Red Russian and this year added Starbor, Dinosaur, and Tuscan black. Kale is a relatively easy crop to grow, but not so easy to find things to do with it. I harvested a bunch of it this spring, but now it's getting too hot so I'll probably let most of it go until the fall. Kale is best after the first frost- it turns almost sweet. I started to have some problems with cabbage moth caterpillars but sprayed the plants (also the brussels sprouts and broccoli) with BT (Bacillus thurigensis) which worked well to kill them off.

There are several things I do with kale that are pretty yummy.
Kale salad- Chop or tear kale leaves into a salad bowl. Add some dried cranberries and grated Asiago cheese, and toss with a lemon vinagrette (1/3 cup lemon juice, 1 tbsp dijon mustard, 2 crushed garlic cloves, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/2 cup olive oil).

Kale chips (recipe thanks to Gerri B)- remove tough stems from kale, brush with olive oil, lay flat on baking sheets, sprinkle with salt, and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes until crispy. Cool and enjoy!

Beans and greens- Cook about 1 cup dried cannellini beans in water (boil about 10 min., drain & rinse, add more water with 1 tsp salt and 2 cloves garlic) until almost soft. Drain and cover with broth, more garlic, chopped onions if you like, and cook until soft or how you like them. Add chopped kale or other greens and any spices that you like. You can eat it like a soup or if there's not too much broth, puree in a food processor, and add some crumbled feta cheese to use as a dip or a spread for bread.

Frozen greens- To be able to use kale in the winter I chop it, mix it with chopped Swiss chard and beet greens, and steam for 1 minute to blanch. I then cool the greens in water, drain and squeeze out most of the water, spread them out, and freeze in plastic bags. Use like frozen spinach in pasta dishes, soups, etc.

I know several people who put kale into smoothies, but I haven't tried this yet.

Yesterday we went up to Lakeview Orchard in Lanesborough, MA and picked 16 pints of raspberries. I froze about half of the berries and made a batch of raspberry freezer jam- very easy, no canning involved, and it tastes fresh. I just bought a box of low sugar pectin and followed the instructions using organic sugar of course. This is the only kind of jam that Kai will eat so I'll have to make another batch of jam before the season is over. Luckily there are fall raspberries too in case I don't make it back up to MA soon.

I also made some raspberry almond scones for Bill's mid-morning snacks. This recipe is from the Food to Live By cookbook.

Mix 2 cups flour, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 tbsp baking powder, and 1 tsp grated lemon zest in a food processor (or bowl). Add 4 tbsp chilled butter, and chop into flour mixture until crumbly. Mix 1 large egg, 1/2 cup milk or cream, and 1 tsp almond extract in small bowl, and add to flour mixture in a larger bowl until just combined. Gently mix in 1/4 cup sliced almonds and 3/4 cup raspberries. Divide into 7-8 balls and place on cookie sheet (greased or with parchment paper). Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes until golden.