If you stop and take a close look at the bunches of green leafy vegetables piled high at the Tuesday afternoon Culver City Farmers Market, you’ll see more delicate Russian red kale and deep blue dinosaur kale along side of the more familiar curly leaf kale.
If your Mom told you to eat your greens, she was right. A single cup of kale provides more than the minimum daily requirement of vitamins A and C. Kale is also very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, lutein, and zeaxanthim. It’s a good source of fiber and iron. Kale’s documented anti-cancer properties are a result of its high level of suloraphan.
Some people enjoy the bracing taste of traditional curly kale; others prefer the milder taste of Russian red kale or blue-green dinosaur kale. Luckily, for those with timid taste buds, pairing kale with sweeter flavored greens such as collards helps to offset the more pronounced taste of kale. A friend of mine claims that sauteing her kale with sweet onions and garlic brings out the best flavor. Kale is available year-round, but it is a vegetable that thrives in colder weather. A kiss of frost does not spoil the crop, but actually makes it taste sweeter.
The Culver City Farmers Market is held each Tuesday from 3 to 7 p.m. on Main Street between Venice and Culver Blvds.
Katie Malich enjoys her kale in barley soup.
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