Benefits of Kale
Kale is something new I have been growing in my garden for the past few years. If you are like me I knew it was good to eat, but I just didn’t know what to do with it! Kale is one of the best greens we can add to our diet and when prepared properly it can taste really good! Here are a few reasons to eat kale!
- Kale is high in vitamins K, A and C giving our immune system a boost and metabolism high.
- It’s is high in fiber, keeping our digestive track healthy and clean and LDL cholesterol levels low.
- It’s high in iron and antioxidants increasing the bodies ability to fight off cancer and other diseases.
- Kale is a great anti-inflammatory food which helps with arthritis, asthma and auto-immune disorders.
- Kale is very high in Calcium! In fact one serving of kale has more calcium than a glass of milk!
Growing Kale
I like to grow a particular variety of kale called Red Russian. It’s flat green leaves are easier to work with for cooking and the flavor is a bit more mild. Kale is very easy to grow. It’s very cold hardy and can usually get through most winters, producing seed during the second season. During the cold winter months I have a hoop house over the box I grow my kale in to keep the leaves from freezing, using it throughout the winter months. In fact it gets sweeter the colder the temps are as long as the plant is protected, as with many cold crops. Simply sow the seeds either in early March or early August.
Cooking With Kale
“Cheesy Kale Chips”
I bet you can’t just have one! These vegan “cheesy” kale chips are so good! My dear friend Janet gave me the recipe and it has been a huge hit ever since! They are very simple to put together and makes good use out of all that kale in the garden! Not to mention they are very healthy and nourishing!
Spaghetti with Kale and Chickpeas
Energizing Green Drink
This is such a delightful recipe! It’s packed full of nutrients leaving a natural energy buzz behind! It’s best to use a juicer, but if you don’t have one, a blender and strainer will do the trick too!
5 large leaves of kale, ribs discarded
1 lemon, zest and pith removed
1 large apple, roughly chopped
A 1-inch piece of fresh ginger
1 sprig of fresh mint
Push all ingredients through a juicer. If using a blender, add 1/2 cup purified water and strain through a fine mesh strainer and drink immediately!
Hi, I sampled this last spring at a class you taught and would like to make it this weekend, but have a question. I don’t have agave or brewer’s yeast. Do I need both? Assume I can sub sugar for agave, but same ratio? What does brewer’s yeast do?
It was so delicious and I have an abundance of kale right now, so this would be perfect.
Oh, and how long might this keep in airtight container, or is it gone at one sitting:). ?
Brewer’s yeast is key in the recipe. You can find it any health food store. It’s what gives it a “cheesy” flavor. You can substitute honey for agave if you like. They should last for a good few days, however I’m not entirely sure because they get eaten all up in one day at our house! 🙂
Thanks so much