Kale | In Season
Kale’s season is not limited to late fall. This cold-hardy and stalwart vegetable grows—in the field or in cold frames—all year round, supplying much-needed local produce to New Englanders in winter. But nothing tastes quite as good as field-grown kale in late fall, when a bit of frost concentrates its sweetness and draws out its […]
Kale’s season is not limited to late fall. This cold-hardy and stalwart vegetable grows—in the field or in cold frames—all year round, supplying much-needed local produce to New Englanders in winter. But nothing tastes quite as good as field-grown kale in late fall, when a bit of frost concentrates its sweetness and draws out its most vibrant flavors. So even if you feel you’ve had enough of the hype surrounding this superfood to last you a lifetime, kale is worth revisiting as we enter peak harvest time.
What can you do with it? Well, plenty. Kale can be eaten raw or cooked and served in salads, soups, savory pies, and sautés. You can toss the leaves with a bit of salt and bake them at 350° for about 10 minutes to make a healthy, crunchy snack. Or try pairing kale with nuts, alliums (garlic, onion, shallots, etc.), smoked meats such as bacon and ham, and sweet ingredients such as dried fruits and winter squash. When purchasing kale, look for crisp leaves and a firm stem.
Here are a few of our favorite Yankee recipes to get you started. For more, go to our website, newengland.com.
Harrisville Kale Salad with Cranberries, Feta, and Walnuts
Tossed with a light dressing, sweet cranberries, and crunchy nuts, this kale salad with cranberries is a staff and reader favorite.
Roasted Garlic and Lemon Kale Salad
A unique and fun presentation of kale (a renowned superfood) that’s sure to entice even the most picky veggie eaters.
Ruth O’Donnell’s Portuguese Kale Soup
The best Portuguese kale soup recipe is made with linguica, a spicy sausage. Make a batch and see why they call this soup “Portuguese penicillin”!
Kale and Apple Salad with Cider Vinegar Dressing
This simple salad makes the most of a few well-matched ingredients and plays the earthy kale off the nuts, the sweet apples, and the salty cheese.
Winter Greens Pie with Mushrooms, Caramelized Shallots, and Feta
Winter greens such as kale, chard, and spinach are packed with fiber and feel-good vitamins, yet taste rich and comforting when paired with mushrooms, sweet caramelized shallots, creamy feta, and toasted walnuts.
Quinoa Salad with Apples and Kale
A little sweet, salty, crunchy, and tangy (the dressing is made with honey and lemon juice). It’s also packed with nutrients, and clocks in at just about 300 calories per serving. It’s a great lunch entree or side dish for early fall.
A
s Yankee’s senior food editor, Amy Traverso oversees the magazine’s food department and contributes to NewEngland.com. She’s also the cohost of Yankee’s TV series with WGBH, Weekends with Yankee, and the author of The Apple Lover’s Cookbook (W.W. Norton), which won an International Association of Culinary Professionals cookbook award in the “American” category.
Amy Traverso
Amy Traverso is the senior food editor at Yankee magazine and co-host of the public television series Weekends with Yankee, a coproduction with WGBH. Previously, she was food editor at Boston magazine and an associate food editor at Sunset magazine. Her work has also been published in The Boston Globe, Saveur, and Travel & Leisure, and she has appeared on Hallmark Home & Family, The Martha Stewart Show, Throwdown with Bobby Flay, and Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares. Amy is the author of The Apple Lover’s Cookbook, which was a finalist for the Julia Child Award for best first-time author and won an IACP Cookbook Award in the “American” category.
More by Amy Traverso