Crazy for Kale!

Kale is pretty trendy right now.  Chances are, even if you haven’t tried it, you’ve at least heard of it – am I right?

As it turns out, kale is in vogue right now for a good reason – it is incredibly healthy (and delicious too!).  Kale is available year-round, but it tends to be the tastiest in the late fall/ early winter (after it’s been exposed to some cold weather or even a frost).

When you prepare kale, make sure and remove the stalks – they are edible but bitter and chewy.  Although kale will last quite a long time in the fridge, it does become more bitter as it ages.

Want to eat a LARGE serving of something for very little in the way of calories?  A cup of kale has only 33 calories, 1 gram of fiber and is chock full of folate, potassium and calcium.  It’s also very rich in anti-inflammatories – good stuff!

Kale is super versatile – you can treat or substitute it for spinach in pretty much any dish (or saute it like you would spinach).  I have a few tasty dishes that I strictly use kale for, and I’ll share them this month.  One of our favorites is this Kale Pesto – it is simple and oh so yummy!

So if you haven’t been brave enough to give kale a go, I encourage you to go buy a bunch at the store or farmer’s market and try some new dishes this month!