Posted: Tue May 17, 05 2:36 pm Post subject: Tell me about kale
Never grown it nor to my knowledge eaten it, but have a packet of seed for a common or garden (!) green variety and hope to sow later in the summer for a winter crop.
Any tips, anecdotes, thoughts, warnings, recipes, ideas?
A great brassica, I like it a lot good and tasty and strong enough to be used in all types of recipes but not too strong. No ideas on growing though as I have a pair of brassica exterminating pigeons living in my back garden
Northern_Lad
Joined: 13 Dec 2004 Posts: 14210 Location: Somewhere
Posted: Tue May 17, 05 2:45 pm Post subject:
Try asking gill_didsbury - he's got a packet of the stuff, but you may have to adjust the months a bit, he's living upside-down at the mo.
Lovely crisp leaf - very good finely shredded and stir fried, but can be boiled to death, steamed, braised or cooked like any other cabbage.
Stronger flavoured than most cabbages, and all the better for it.
Go for it!
judith
Joined: 16 Dec 2004 Posts: 22789 Location: Montgomeryshire
Posted: Tue May 17, 05 3:05 pm Post subject:
Definitely grow some kale - if you keep picking it, the leaves aren't too strong (although they can overpower a stir-fry if you aren't too careful). It marries really well with bacon and/or feta cheese.
Chickens like it too. Particularly the flower heads when it finally goes to seed.
Guest
Posted: Wed May 18, 05 8:21 am Post subject:
you need to start it about now for next winter.
Mine is just pricked out, and will be transplanted in July.
It needs a long grwoing season.
Very useful as you can pick one or two leaves as you need them , and not a whole huge cabbage !
We like the standard green kale and the posh Nero di Toscano dark one.
both are great stir fried, or boiled, or in soups.
gavin
Joined: 10 Feb 2005 Posts: 93 Location: Leeds, W Yorks
Posted: Wed May 18, 05 8:34 am Post subject:
Excellent vegetable - agreed! Goes really well with smoked fish too. Looks good too - I like the red and black kales .
And pretty easy to grow - it's a bit more robust and resilient than most brassicas; none of the fussiness of caulis and calabrese. It should grow into pretty large plants, so I'd space them quite widely.
Kale is also more resistant to club-root, and less tasty for slugs - but mine does get whitefly; worth a spray with derris as soon as the whitefly appears, or they can really take over. They don't do much damage, but the black mould is a bit unsightly and yucky.
All best - and enjoy! Gavin
judith
Joined: 16 Dec 2004 Posts: 22789 Location: Montgomeryshire
Posted: Wed May 18, 05 9:04 am Post subject:
I grew a dwarf variety last year. 8 - 10 plants were plenty for us and the leaves stayed small and tender. I didn't start them off until August/September either, which is much better for me as there isn't so much to do in the veg garden then.
I've been at the coast a few times and noticed something that looks very kale-like...do you think this could be sea kale? Is there anything poisonous that it could be mistaken for?
ross
Is that fat hen ross? Did you get it to germinate? I got 0%
guest Guest
Posted: Thu May 19, 05 9:56 am Post subject:
yes tahir- it's me. I did try some fat hen seeds just after I received them but similarly got no germination. am going to try again now that it's warmer and will let you know.
ross.
Cab says sea kale is quite rare - he mentions sea beet in his Wild Foods for May (the last one) but this pic doesn't look very kale like. Perhaps you're lucky! But by the sounds of it you shouldn't be picking
Tahir, re fat hen...I have four similar looking seedlings with slight reddish tinge, in my tray of seeds. They're very tiny yet though so we'll have to see. I might sow the rest this weekend.