Kale is a hardy plant in the cabbage family. It’s easy to grow and can even survive in your garden after a frost. Recognized by its dark green leafy appearance, kale is lightly sweet and bitter to the taste. Known for its high protein and iron content, kale also contains calcium, vitamin A and C and chlorophyll. It helps ease lung congestion, heals the liver and immune system and benefits the stomach. Energetically it feeds and nurtures the heart, brain, small intestines and blood. Because the plant is so hardy, when you eat it you impart the strength into your body.
Indole-3-carbinol, which may protect against colon cancer, is found in kale.
Along with the nutraceuticals lutein and zeaxanthin which protect the eyes from macular degeneration.
Kale is so wonderful, you can see why everyone is saying to get more of it into your diet. I use kale often in my cooking but one of my students, Jane, asked if I could incorporate even more in my dishes, so I created what I now call the ‘Jane Technique’.
Buy a bunch of organic kale at the store. Look for a firm stalk and dark green color. You don’t want any yellow color on the kale, that means it’s old. Wash it well. Fill a dish pan full of water, soak the kale and swish it around. Remove kale and check to see how much dirt has come off.
Sometimes you have to wash it two or three times to get all the dirt off. Then let it dry. Put into a food processor and puree until the kale is cut up in very small pieces. Add a little of the minced kale to everything you eat. Just a pinch here and there, and you are getting all the health benefits from the kale everyday in your diet.
Valerie Wilson
