Thursday, July 23, 2009

A Kalestrom

While the Northeast has been battered with rain this summer, there is a healthy “kalstrom” underway at Restoration Farm.

I confess that I am a “kale convert.” It took me quite a while to warm up to some of these leafy greens. I’m pretty adventurous, but I just didn’t know what to expect. So I’d always default to what I knew. Was I missing out!

Kale has an earthy, almost “meaty” flavor. I have found that a simple stir fry of kale in garlic and oil makes a satisfying meal. Kale is a member of the cabbage family, and has been around for a while. It was a favorite in ancient Rome. Kale is rich in vitamins A, C and calcium and high in protein.

Now, I’m hoarding kale. I don’t want a bit to go to waste. So, if I’m not going to eat it immediately, I steam the deep green leaves for no more than three minutes, and then shock them in cold water.

Next, roll the leaves in a clean dish towel to absorb the excess water, place them in a zip lock bag and store them in the freezer. That means there is plenty of kale on hand to add a wild touch to recipes like this rich, flavorful frittata:

Frittata with Onion, Kale and Italian Dry Sausage

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, sliced
¼ pound Italian Dry Sausage or other hard sausage, sliced in rounds
1 bunch kale, cleaned, stems removed and leaves coarsely chopped
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
8 eggs
Chopped, fresh parsley

Preheat the broiler. In a large, non-stick, oven-proof skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Sauté onion and garlic until golden. Add sausage and continue to sauté until softened.


Add the kale and sauté briefly until bright green and wilted. Meanwhile, whisk eggs, cheese and chopped parsley in a separate bowl. Turn the heat on the frying pan to medium-low and add the egg mixture. Let the eggs set between 5 to 6 minutes. Turn the pan slightly from time to time to allow the eggs to set. Reduce heat to low, cover the pan and cook until the eggs are completely set for 10 to 15 minutes. Finish the frittata under the broiler, and heat 1 to 2 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm, or at room temperature.

Hang on for the inevitable kalestrom. Your taste buds won’t know what hit them!

©2009 T.W. Barritt All Rights Reserved

8 comments:

Julia said...

I love kale too! I like it more than spinach because its texture is my hardy. But I don't have enough in my garden to freeze any yet. Perhaps when the tomatoes come in, I'll forget about kale and will then have some to freeze :)

The frittata looks great!!

Christo Gonzales said...

"a kalestrom" I love it! then I remembered 'vitavetavegimite - you can really taste the kale' from I Love Lucy

La Cuisine d'Helene said...

What a great way to use Kale. This dish looks delicious.

~~louise~~ said...

Add me to the list of kale aficionados. I had no idea it could be frozen!

You sure are having some adventurous nibbles thanks to Restoration Farm despite this crazy weather!

Gee, I haven't had breakfast yet, any Frittata left? It sure looks good!

Foodiewife said...

I have recently learned to appreciate fresh kale and fresh chard. These are little known veggies to many folks, but so versatile. Lovely recipe.
Oh! If you love fresh figs, come see what I blogged about. Wow! I sure wish I had a fig tree in my back yard. I'm hooked!

Stacey Snacks said...

TW,
Great minds think alike.
I was planning on making a frittata this weekend........maybe not with kale, but with some other green! Enjoy the weekend.

Kalyn Denny said...

Your kale frittata sounds great. I'm really missing kale in my garden this year, need to look for it at the market.

Lori Lynn said...

I love how you don't skimp on the amount of kale in your frittata.

LL