Kale is a beautiful, tough, nutritious & delicious vegetable. For years I've purchased it at farmers markets, but this year I'm growing it. There are countless varieties of Kale, I picked Dinosaur, Lacinato, Kale for two reasons: 1. I love Italian food especially if it grows well in my garden, and 2. I have a four year old who loves dinosaurs - so there you have it!
One thing about Dinosaur Kale, it gets REALLY dirty. I had to do some serious soaking and rinsing to get the dirt out of the pockets under the leaves - totally worth it. I'm not sure what I'll make with my first batch of kale. A few blogger friends have made knock-out kale chips, sounds delicious! But in honor of my first kale season, I might go with a classic Tuscan soup - Ribolita. Bread, olive oil, kale, tomatoes....sounds amazing, no?
Back in February my little seeds got started and were recently transplanted outside. The seedlings are now little plants - and they are growing strong. The seed packet says they grow up to two feet tall - yikes! I'm thrilled to make room in my garden for Kale, now let's hope it cooperates and grows like crazy!
Are you growing anything new this year? Giving up on something to make room for others?