Kale is a cool weather crop. We planted our kale plants behind the snow peas in the northwest corner of one of our two 4’x4′ raised beds. By the time the snow peas faded from the summer heat, the tomatoes (on the southeast side of the snowpeas) were tall enough to offer the Kale the same protection from the intense afternoon sun. The Kale receives dappled morning sun, a brief hit of noon sun, is then in light shade because of the neighbor’s tree and finally in full shade from our fence on the west side of the Lot. We are up to our ears in kale right now. Next year we will be planting two kale plants instead of four.
Like romaine lettuce, kale can be harvested througout the season without removing the whole plant from the garden. Simply remove the outer leaves as they develop, taking care not to disturb the budding center/top of the plant. Leave at least 4 to 6 leaves so the plant can nourish itself as it continues to grow. Larger leaves are great in soups, while the smaller (younger) leaves can be used in salads. I read that kale tastes even better after the first frost because it has a sweeter, more intense flavor.
Anyway, I consulted all-recipes.com to find dishes with kale in the ingredients list. Tonight we tried one of the two recipes I found, using kale, peppers and thai basil from our garden. We tweaked the recipe a bit. The original recipe can be found here. This is the way we prepared the dish.
Sweet Pepper Pasta Toss with Kale
Ingredients:
- 1 (8 ounce) package orzo
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 medium yellow bell pepper, chopped
- 2 cups roughly chopped kale
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh thai basil
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper
- salt to taste
- 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
Directions:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in red pepper, yellow pepper, and garlic. Cook 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add kale and basil. Cook until kale is wilted.
- Season with crushed red pepper and salt.
- In a large bowl, toss cooked pasta with skillet mixture and feta cheese to serve.