CSAy what?: Kale fail

CSA: Week 2

I had every intention of titling this week’s CSA update “Conquering kale,” because that was exactly what I’d hoped to accomplish with this here bunch of lacinato kale.

CSA: Week 2 - Kale

I was going to turn these otherwise prehistoric-looking, dino-skinned greens into delicious baked chips, and I was going to sing the praises of kale, a highly nutritious member of the Brassica oleracea family I’d managed to avoid most of my life up until recently, from atop mountains high.

Er, that didn’t happen. I mean, I did make kale chips, and I tried them, but I didn’t love them. No, I hated them. Just: bitter, bitter, bitter.

Y’all, I just think I’m not that into kale, is the bottom line. I also tried it last week, too, in a quinoa recipe, and it didn’t thrill me there, either. In fact, the inclusion of kale may have turned me off to quinoa, too. But, I’m not writing off kale just yet. I’ll give it one more chance before adding it to the short list of Foods I Don’t Eat. I just need to find the perfect recipe. Perhaps a hearty, bean-laden stew?

CSA: Week 2

Pictured: Lacinato (aka dino) kale, red beets, (teeny-tiny) white turnips, basil, rosemary, spicy salad greens, trout lettuce, shelling peas, fava beans

Moving on from my kale fail, the highlight in this week’s CSA share was definitely the shelling peas, which Rowan enjoyed straight from the pod. That same night I used the basil to make a batch of pesto, and we enjoyed pasta with the roasted garlicky pesto and the peas. So yummy!

CSA: Week 2 - Pea pod, the first

CSA: Week 2 - Pesto pasta

Another new-to-me item in this week’s CSA share was fava beans. We opted to make a fava bean puree to serve on crostini.

CSA: Week 2 - Fava bean crostini

I loosely followed this recipe, subbing parsley leaves for the mint, and I left out the marscapone cheese, which is really too expensive for a recipe that only calls for a tablespoon. The fava bean puree was … just OK. I think the addition of the sweet cheese would’ve made it better — a little less like eating pureed lawn. Heh.

Or, maybe I should’ve just given in to my cinematic inclinations and served the fava beans alongside liver with a nice glass of Chianti.

(Uh, NO.)

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Posted on June 30, 2010 | Category: CSAy what? | 11 Comments

Comments

  1. angelq said:

    This is a great recipe. I’m also not big into greens but I do like this soup. My husband would like me to make this more often but shrimp can be expensive.

    http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=224851

    June 30th, 2010 @ 9:30 am
  2. sizzle said:

    Mmm I love kale though it can be bitter, it is true. I tend to sautee it with white beans and garlic.

    June 30th, 2010 @ 9:40 am
  3. victoria winters said:

    Kale is delicious in a risotto or in pasta with yellow tomatoes & goat cheese (the latter was last night’s dinner, btw). Never made kale chips because they don’t sound that good. I need my greens hidden in cream and pasta please! :)

    June 30th, 2010 @ 12:54 pm
  4. shannon said:

    OMG, so I copied your confession blog concept (have a working draft, will let you know when I publish it) and one of my confessions … I hate kale and swiss chard. I give up on that stuff. I’m totally going to make fava bean puree and copy you again.

    June 30th, 2010 @ 1:30 pm
  5. Serror said:

    I usually make the kale chips with the curly kale. It seems to be a little less bitter to me? But then I put garlic powder on too, and when they are out of the over a liberal squeeze of lemon. Garlic and lemon then become the predominate tastes.

    Last night I did Kale for dinner, but I like to boil it a little before sauteing in garlic and onion and cooking it down a little. (Think like southern collard greens but without all the time) Seems to make it a little less tough, and I never felt like it was bitter prepared this way. Then add a dash of vinegar and hot sauce if you like it. I prefer kale on its own rather than in things.

    Put some ricotta in the fava beans spread. Less spendy, more useful in other things in the kitchen.

    June 30th, 2010 @ 2:24 pm
  6. angelq said:

    Oh, yes. Maybe Serror has the key – I might get different kale down here than you guys have.

    July 1st, 2010 @ 10:07 am
  7. Rhi said:

    Oh, I love fava beans, though I’ve never cooked with them. They just look so…intimidating.

    July 1st, 2010 @ 12:23 pm
  8. mamabird said:

    Even without the cheese this risotto is brilliant. I’ve used strong tasting greens in it (such as kale) and everyone here loves it. Just thought I’d pass it along in case you want to try.

    http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/01/barley-risotto-with-beans-and-greens/

    July 1st, 2010 @ 4:08 pm
  9. Laura said:

    Yeah I’ve given up on kale so now to use it I blanch a few leaves of it and then put it in the food processor and mix the tiny pieces into a pasta, casserole or soup, then you can’t really taste it.

    July 2nd, 2010 @ 12:02 am
  10. Gabby said:

    Jen, as much as I’m supposed to support kale in all it’s glory to the bitter end, I think there’s just too many good things out there that you do enjoy to keep bothering with something you don’t. Why waste your 1 of 8 items on something you don’t like? Just one girl’s opinion. But, you just keep plugging away if it suits you. :)

    And I will admit something I hesitate to admit: I haven’t tried the fava beans yet. Or ever. I think I’m going to do it tonight. Just in case someone asks: “How are the fava beans?” I don’t have to completely lie. I’ll let you know if I come up with a good recipe.

    July 6th, 2010 @ 5:08 pm
  11. Nina said:

    I really liked this risotto recipe for fava beans: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Green-Risotto-with-Fava-Beans/Detail.aspx

    July 9th, 2010 @ 1:36 pm

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