Conquering kale

IOWA CITY - It's not often that Iowa can claim trendsetter status.

One exception appears to be in kale consumption.

The leafy, green - or purple - vegetable is a hot health item, with chefs like the Food Network's Bobby Flay showcasing kale recipes.

“I think we're the kale leaders,” says Laura Krouse, owner of Abbe Hills Farm in rural Mount Vernon. “When I take it to the Iowa City Farmers Market, I can't even get it out of the car - people snatch it up so fast.”

Not only is kale packed with nutrients, such as vitamins A, C and K and minerals, but the vegetable is easy to grow in Iowa. Gardeners can harvest kale long after other plants bite the dust; some even continued to grow into January this year.

That longevity is among the factors that make it a staple in Community Supported Agriculture shares, Krouse says.

While CSAs are growing in popularity in Iowa, Krouse pointed to another factor in the rise of kale: Dr. Terry Wahls.

The Iowa City doctor, a University of Iowa clinical professor of internal medicine, said kale was integral in her diet as she overcame multiple sclerosis, moving from a wheelchair to return to treating patients at a traumatic brain injury clinic.

A video of Wahls explaining her diet at a TEDx event in Iowa City this fall has had more than 160,000 views on YouTube.

“I'm thrilled to be the kale queen,” says Wahls, whose son, Zach Wahls, also had a video that went viral of his testimony at the Iowa Legislature, opposing the proposed amendment to ban same-sex marriage. “I'm so grateful to have my life back.”

Her favorite ways to eat kale include smoothies and kale chips.

Wahls has partnered with New Pioneer Food Co-op and Backyard Abundance to tout the benefits of kale.

New Pioneer's Allison Gnade said the co-op threw its first Kale Fest in August to widen the pool of ideas to prepare the vegetable.

Winners included kale rolls, soup and hummus.

“The best part,” about kale says Fred Meyer, director of the Iowa City-based Backyard Abundance, is that “you can harvest from it from early spring through early winter. It actually gets a little sweeter after it is frosted.”

Check indoor farmers markets in Springville, Ely, Mount Vernon, Urbana and Iowa City for kale as it can be grown in a hoop house, even in the snow.

Chef Jill Jones at Prairiewoods Franciscan Spirituality Center in Hiawatha was still harvesting kale this month.

She uses kale in soups, side dishes and more.

“It's a real versatile green,” she says.

Kale chips

1 to 2 teaspoons sea salt

1 tablespoons vinegar

1 to 2 teaspoons black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 to 2 tbsp. walnut oil

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

1 bunch kale, stems removed

Add first six ingredients to kale. Coat leaves.

Lay leaves on dehydrator tray and dehydrate at 95 degrees overnight.

Or bake in oven preheated between 250 and 300 degrees until crispy. Check every 15.

From Terry Wahls

Kale Hummus

1 cup cooked garbanzo beans, drained, reserving 1/2 cup of liquid

4 teaspoons white sesame seeds

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup chopped, blanched, de-stemmed kale

1 teaspoon fresh garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

Put all ingredients except kale in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Add kale and blend on low for 20 to 30 seconds.

Serve with a drizzle of olive oil on top.

From Jennifer Burstain from Newpieats.newpi.coop

Kale Rolls

Note: This recipe is inspired by the desire to modify recipes that require imported ingredients to local food-based ingredients, or ones that ‘could' be developed as a local niche. These rolls are a take-off of Nori rolls, substituting the imported Nori with a fermented kale leaf. The saltiness of seaweed is created by modeling the classic preservation of grape leaves. These ingredients also intend to meld with The Wahls' Way nutritional approach.

12 large flat-leafed kale leaves (not curly kale)

1 tablespoon sea salt (or  1/2 tablespoon sea salt and 1 tablespoon  juice culture from an earlier ferment)

2 medium golden beets

1 tablespoon ume plum vinegar

½ teaspoon honey

3 slices bacon, cooked and cut into quarters (across and lengthwise)

1 cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced lengthwise

1 carrot, peeled and julienned

hazelnuts, toasted and sliced

1 red serrano pepper, de-seeded and thinly sliced lengthwise

1 red onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings cut in half

Prepare lightly fermented kale (3 days prior)

Cut off major portion of stem of kale leaves. Sprinkle with salt and let stand about 30 minutes to soften. (Note: one can use ½ the salt by spiking the culture with an earlier ferment.) Layer 4 kale leaves together. Roll from leaf tip to stem, cigar-like. Repeat with remaining 8 leaves so that there are 3 bundles. Pack them into a 1 pint wide mouth jar. Fill with fresh water. (NOTE: do NOT use tap water; chlorination will retard microorganisms. Alternatively, boil the water to remove chlorine.) Let stand at room temp or cooler for 3 days. Refrigerate. Use as desired.

Prepare beet noodles (1-8 hours prior)

Cut beet into very thin ‘noodles.' I use a spiralizer, which creates long noodles. Add ume plum vinegar and honey. Let marinate for at least 1 hour, massaging occasionally with a clean hand.

Remove one bundle of kale leaves. Rinse.

Lay out kale leaf flat with point towards oneself. You may need to trim a little bit of hard stem from the base of the leaf, leaving leaf intact.

Lay golden beet noodles over about ½ of the leaf. In the middle, from edge-to-edge, layer single slices of bacon, cucumber, carrot, red onion, hazelnuts, and red serrano.

Lightly roll kale leaf sushi-roll-fashion from the leaf tip end so that the beet surrounds the internal ingredients.

Slice rolled kale into ½ – ¾-inch slices. Place decoratively on a plate and serve.

From Roxane Mitten from www.newpieats.newpi.coop

Miss Nik's Kale Fest Soup

Serves 8-10 generously – maybe even some left for the freezer

3 tablespoons. olive oil

5-6 links Hot Italian Chicken sausage, casings removed (*pork if you prefer)

8 cups low-sodium chicken stock

2-3 ounces Parmiggiano Reggiano rind

1 large yellow onion, medium dice

1 large red bell pepper, medium dice

1 large green bell pepper, medium dice

pinch of sugar, if needed

3 to 5 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed, and minced

1 teaspoons fennel seeds, lightly crushed

red pepper flakes (optional )

6 ouces dry white wine

3 bunches kale, washed, de-stemmed, and torn or cut into bite-sized pieces

2-3 large russet or sweet potatoes, scrubbed and cubed

2-3 15 ounce cans cannelini, navy, black, or great Northern beans with liquid

3 ounces unsalted butter

2 tablespoons Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped

salt and black pepper to taste

In sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium-high until shimmering. Add sausage, breaking up with wooden spoon to ensure even browning. Stir occasionally until it's cooked almost all the way through and has a rich brown color.

While the sausage is browning, pour the chicken stock into a Dutch oven or deep stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the piece of Reggiano rind, which will add a whole other dimension of flavor – umami, the fifth taste. Bring almost to a boil, then reduce heat to med-low and let it simmer. Stir occasionally to prevent the cheese from sticking to the bottom.

Add the onion, bell peppers, garlic, fennel, and red pepper flakes to the browned sausage. Stir occasionally over medium heat, until the veggies soften and begin to take on a little color. You can add a pinch of sugar to speed along the carmelization, if you'd like. Add the wine, stirring occasionally until liquid is almost cooked off. Turn off heat.

Remove Reggiano rind from stockpot with tongs and discard. Add the kale to the stock, then the contents of the sauté pan, making sure to scrape all the brown bits off the bottom. Add the potatoes, and continue to stir occasionally until kale and potatoes are just tender. Add beans and their liquid and reduce heat to low, bringing it to a bare simmer. Taste a spoonful of stock. If it is a bit too salty, add extra chicken stock or water. Add black pepper or salt if desired. Turn off heat.

Add butter, for a richer taste and glossy appearance. Stir until thoroughly incorporated, and serve with your favorite homemade or Bakehouse bread.

It freezes beautifully.

From Miss Nik, New Pi Mistress of Cheese from www.newpieats.newpi.coop

Braised Greens

Serves 4

2 bunches kale greens

1 large onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

3 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon red pepper flakes (optional)

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

3 cups vegetable stock (see recipe below) or low sodium chicken broth

2 teaspoons kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

Raw Spanish peanuts

Wash kale well. Remove stems and mid rib of leaves. Chop kale in 1/2 inch ribbons.

In large sauce pan or stock pot, heat oil and add onions and ginger. Cook until transparent. Add garlic, and cook for another 30 seconds.

Add kale greens, coat with oil, and cook until wilted. Season with salt, pepper and pepper flakes, if desired.

Add vegetable stock and white wine vinegar.

Cover and braise greens on medium low for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until greens are tender. Add more stock if greens get dry. Re-season to taste.

Serve over rice and garnish with raw Spanish peanuts on top of braised greens.

NOTE: Any type of greens can be used for this recipe, such as collard greens, mustard or turnip greens, A combination of greens works well.

From Jill Jones, Prairiewoods Franciscan Spirituality Center

Vegetable Stock

Yield: 1  1/2 quarts

1 1/2  quarts  water

1  whole  onion, quartered

 2 whole  carrots, cut in chunks

2  stalks  celery, cut in chunks

Parsley stems ( or dry parsley)

Garlic cloves, to taste

4 whole  bay leaves

1  tablespoon  peppercorns

Thyme sprigs (or dry thyme leaves to taste)

Any other flavorful vegetables: mushrooms, potatoes, tomatoes

In a stockpot combine ingredients; simmer over low heat for 2 hours, then strain. Refrigerate. Use stock as base for soup or sauce and then add salt and pepper as needed.

NOTE : Vegetarian stock can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 7 days, or frozen for up to five months.