Crinkly leaves, great taste

Kale is harvested when a light frost has settled on the soil between the Rhine and Meuse rivers. The winter vegetable tastes especially good then. And owing to its many valuable ingredients, like vitamin C, it’s also very healthy.

The nourishing vegetable is in season from around the end of October to February. It’s therefore part of winter cuisine and is correspondingly prepared in hearty meals along the Lower Rhine. Crinkly kale tastes best when fresh, of course. It’s best to buy it at the market or from a farm shop – and in relatively large amounts: for two portions, you’ll need about a kilogram of fresh kale. This is because the stalks and stems have to be removed, and the vegetable wilts considerably when cooked.

Then the cleaning department steps in: kale must always be washed thoroughly. A lot of soil gets hidden in its crinkly leaves. The winter vegetable is cooked for a long time; bacon and onion are actually always part of the dish. Kale is considered a classic as a hearty stew with sausage and Kassler (salted and smoked pork). Authentic Lower Rhenish traditional fare. However, it can also be blanched and eaten in a salad. In any case, kale is delicious and worth the effort.

Or you can treat yourself by enjoying kale in a restaurant or Lower Rhenish farm café. Kale Week in the District of Cleves, for example, shows what great dishes are available based on the winter vegetable. Restaurants, butchers and greengrocers offer dishes based on kale – from the classic preparation of the winter vegetable with Kassler and Mettenden (cured and smoked sausage) to tarte flambée with kale, there are no limits to your imagination. So, don’t be afraid and pick up kale. We hope you enjoy your meal!

Did you know…

…that kale is considered a superfood in the USA?

here are a great many vitamins and minerals in curly kale, and it’s even meant to prevent cancer and other diseases. That’s not scientifically proven, but kale certainly can’t hurt. Especially because it’s so tasty.