{"id":349,"date":"2010-11-30T13:58:00","date_gmt":"2010-11-30T13:58:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gsu.eventmedialabs.com\/?p=349"},"modified":"2015-07-19T20:50:10","modified_gmt":"2015-07-19T19:50:10","slug":"kale-a-very-hardy-veg-and-not-just-for-the-livestock","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greensideup.ie\/kale-a-very-hardy-veg-and-not-just-for-the-livestock\/","title":{"rendered":"Kale … a very hardy veg … and not just for the livestock"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Kale

Curly Kale – August<\/p><\/div>\n

Since we first started growing vegetables\u00a0we’ve grown kale.\u00a0 Usually the curly variety but last year we tried a\u00a0rape kale\u00a0variety too – namely Ragged Jack.<\/p>\n

I was therefore slightly bemused when talking to some pig farming friends about veg and they looked horrified when I said we grew and\u00a0loved to eat kale “mam used to grow that for the pigs years ago, can’t imagine eating it”….<\/p>\n

Well I’m delighted to say that you can!\u00a0And it comes into its own at this time of the year.<\/p>\n

It’s extremely\u00a0hardy, surviving harsh conditions that send Brussels sprouts gooey and broccoli limp, and\u00a0like parsnips it tastes better for a good frost.\u00a0 We’ve been picking leaves from this year’s crop since August, and all being well expect to\u00a0right through to April or May.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
30 November 2010<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Kale is in the Brassica family and you’ll sometimes see it referred to as Borecole.<\/p>\n

One of our daughter’s\u00a0hates it, preferring Calabrese, the other loves it, hating Calabrese so we have all angles covered if we grow both.<\/p>\n

It’s hard to describe the flavour… it has a stronger flavour than Calabrese –\u00a0more cabbagey.\u00a0 My hubby describes it as “a veg you know is doing you good when you eat it – irony without the bitterness”.\u00a0 I guess that’s because it’s full of vitamins – especially vitamin C and iron.<\/p>\n

So how do you prepare it for the table?<\/p>\n

First of all don’t just grow one plant, grow several and pick a few leaves off all the plants rather than stripping one bare. Cut the centre of each plant first to encourage fresh side-shoots.<\/p>\n

On a day-to-day basis I just strip the leaves from the harder stalk,\u00a0steam\u00a0the chopped\u00a0stalks first before adding the leaves for about 15 minutes.\u00a0 Kale can be stir fried too, or added to curries.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n

Alternatively, the smaller, more delicate leaves can be eaten raw and added to a crisp winter salad, but it’s more usual to cook them.<\/p>\n

Colcannon Recipe<\/h2>\n

Colcannon (sometimes known as Kailkenny) is a\u00a0Celtic dish that traditionally uses kale, although many people now substitute it for cabbage.\u00a0 It’s delicious served with roast or grilled meat dishes.\u00a0To make it you’ll need the following:<\/p>\n

approx 400g kale
\n1 chopped onion
\n150ml milk
\napprox 400g mashed potato
\n50g melted butter
\nsalt and pepper to taste<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Strip the leaves from the stalk<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Shred the\u00a0leaves from the stalk\u00a0(the midrib) and wash\u00a0in cold, running water. (In the late summer\/autumn months take special care to wash out any hidden caterpillars).\u00a0 Steam the leaves in a steamer for about 15 minutes, or if you don’t have one, place them\u00a0in a pan of boiling water and cook for a similar time, adding salt to taste.<\/p>\n

Drain thoroughly then chop the kale finely with a sharp knife.<\/p>\n

Whilst the kale is cooking, place the chopped onion in a pan with the milk, boil then remove from the heat, cover and infuse until the kale has finished cooking.<\/p>\n

Blend the mashed potatoes and kale together in a pan over gentle heat and add enough of the milk and onion mixture to give the consistency of creamy potatoes.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Seed bed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

So how do you grow it?<\/p>\n

It’s very easy to grow… just sow the seeds directly\u00a0into well-drained alkaline soil that was manured for a previous crop. For\u00a0Kale sow in April and Rape\u00a0Kale in July.<\/p>\n

The easiest way is to sow the seeds\u00a0where they’re to grow, spacing them about 60cm (2ft) apart, sowing a few extra in case slugs eat some of the seedlings.\u00a0 Alternatively sow them in a seed bed 5cm apart and transplant them to their final place once there’s space.<\/p>\n

Hoe often to keep weeds down and protect from slugs and caterpillars, which are their main pests along with cabbage root fly.<\/p>\n

When the plants start to flower, pull them up and compost them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Kale – A Hardy Vegetable and Not Just for the Livestock<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":13195,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[1798,563],"tags":[209,210,9,33],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\nKale - A Hardy Vegetable and Not Just for the Livestock<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Kale - A Hardy Vegetable and Not Just for the Livestock\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/greensideup.ie\/kale-a-very-hardy-veg-and-not-just-for-the-livestock\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Kale - 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