Long Live the Kale

Following in the footsteps of our commander-in-chief’s final push for health care*, I am going to make a mighty (and less expensive) push of my own: cook with kale!

Still trying to recover from Gonzaga’s painful loss in the second round of March Madness earlier today and anxiously awaiting the House’s decision, I retreated to the kitchen this evening for a bit of a pick-me-up. My kale binge still in full force (consumption occurring in the last three of my five meals), I opened the fridge and reached for it.

Maybe you’re wondering: what’s the deal with kale? Is it just another dark leafy green that tastes healthier than it does delicious and should really only be eaten in an attempt to prevent cancer? Sure it has its health benefits, but I’m here to tell you it’s so much more than that. Don’t get me wrong: I think spinach is great; its versatility rivals that of the best ingredients out there. But with a more coarse make-up, kale holds up well in soups and sautéing doesn’t leave it looking wilted, sad, and a bit defeated like some of its green counterparts. And, because heat doesn’t shrink kale to the extreme that is seen in other greens, you’re really getting a bang for your buck when you buy a bunch. There are a couple of different types of kale, but I couldn’t tell you the names off the top of my head, nor do I think it’s all that important. Here’s the crux: next time you’re sauntering in the produce section of your local grocery store, in serious consideration of escaping your usual carrot/spinach/cucumber routine, do it! Kale is cheap (at least this time of year), healthy, and flavorful. How am I doing so far? Have I convinced any of you staunch spinach lovers to convert? If not, what will it take? State your objectives, name your price!

Anyway, tonight I decided to make a quick and easy pasta by combining the kale with some spicy sausage and zucchini.** In case you’re wanting to try something easy with kale, here’s my recipe (measurements are all loosely based, since I did this one on the fly):

AR's Fusilli with spicy sausage, kale and zucchini
1/2 lb fusilli (any small-ish shaped pasta will work well)
1/3 lb hot Italian sausage
handful of kale
one small zucchini
garlic (I used one clove. If you’re a garlic lover, by all means, bring it on. This dish fully welcomes it.)
red chili flakes (but only if you need extra zip…the spicy sausage should speak for itself)
parmesan cheese (pecorino might be even better, but I didn’t have any on hand)
kosher salt & freshly ground pepper

Salt a pot of water, bring to boil, and cook the pasta. Meanwhile, uncase the sausage and brown over medium heat. As the meat cooks, wash and coarsely chop kale (discard stems). Wash zucchini and thinly slice. After sausage is completely brown, set aside but save the grease in the pan (there wasn’t a ton with the sausage I used (there will be even less if you decide to use turkey sausage) so you may want to add a little olive oil). Mince garlic and add to the oil on medium heat. Once fragrant, throw in the kale and zucchini and sauté until the vegetables are soft (took mine about 10 minutes). Add salt, pepper, and optional chili flakes as they cook. Once the vegetables are done and the pasta is al dente, fully incorporate the pasta (plus a couple of teaspoons of the pasta water) and sausage with the veggies. Top it with grated parmesan and freshly ground pepper and voila. A delicious dinner is done within 20 minutes! Oh, and this should serve two to three people. Lucky for me, this means I have leftovers for lunch tomorrow!

After the success I had tonight in the kitchen, I only have one last thought: Spinach, you best be sleeping with one eye open. If clatter has anything to say about it, kale is coming out of the woodwork and will be a force to be reckoned with.


*Please put your concerns to rest: clatter is not, and has no plans to be, a political platform. The placement of the growing Obama chia pet on my parents’ kitchen counter may or may not have only been a satirical move on my part.

**Full attribution must be paid to my mother for this post. Not only did she introduce me to kale and all of its wonderful qualities this year, the pasta I put together tonight was inspired by something she created recently (but she made hers tomato-based and without zucchini). Thank you, Mother!