The Book of Kale

Book excerpt: Kale—one of the most nutrient-dense greens in existence—has been growing for thousands of years without any fuss. Yet, despite the fact that kale is lauded as a miracle food, and most people know that they should be eating it, many don’t know how to make it taste good. Here, kale-evangelist Sharon Hanna provides more than eighty simple but superb recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Dishes ranging from Kale Chips to Kale and Potato Torta or Scalloped Kale with Browned Butter & Sage will blow kale skeptics out of the kitchen. This garden-to-kitchen guide gives readers all they need to know to grow this super-sustainable crop organically—as edible landscaping, on balconies and boulevards and even indoors. And, aspiring locavores take note—purple, silvery-green, frilly, stately Tuscan and rainbow-hued kale can all be grown year-round throughout North America, helping families save hundreds of dollars a year on grocery bills. Best of all, learn how to teach kids to love kale—both growing and eating it—with inspiration derived from this author’s many years as an award-winning coordinator of an inner-city school garden program. Join the Kale conversation on Facebook.