Veggie IDs: Siberian Kale

We talked about almost all the types of kale earlier this summer, but not Siberian Kale. She is the clear winner in the kale department in our book: tender, not too brassica-y yet full of flavor, great for salads or cooking.

It is thought that Siberian Kale started from a chance hybridization between field mustard and European kales in the gardens or Europe during in the middle ages. Siberian kale is a cold hardy kale (in case the name didn’t give you that idea) and it is the foundation green of our Winter and Full Diet CSAs. We begin planting Siberian Kale in August so that it is ready to harvest and eat as the colder nights start to wreak havoc on our other greens growing outside the hoop houses.

To store: This is important: ALWAYS STORE SIBERIAN KALE IN A PLASTIC BAG OR TUPPERWARE. If you don’t, it will get limp, soggy, and flacid in a day. If you do, you can enjoy your Siberian Kale for a week or longer, no problem! You just want to enjoy it before the leaves turn yellow, which happens about 2 weeks after harvest.

To prep: Wash/wipe off any remaining field dust, dirt, and aphids and remove stems.

To use: Siberian kale is great raw in salads or chopped and cooked or sautéed in any recipe that calls for greens. The kale is so tender that it could be used in the place of lettuce, or you can give it a nice massage with some salt and oil or lemon juice or toss it with a warm vinaigrette.

To preserve for later: Really, this green should be used when fresh, but you can always chop, steam, and freeze it for use later. Just drop the ball of frozen greens into the soup or stew or defrost and sauté into your dish or frittata.