Kale
Brassica oleracea (var. acephala)
A form of cabbage that doesn’t form a head, kale has curly green leaves and is most often cooked, although it can be eaten raw. Many people think it has a mild cabbagy flavor, and it is often tossed into soups because the hardy leaves can stand up to long simmering.
Cut `n Clean Greens Kale makes your life easier by eliminating the drudgery of washing and cutting. With our easy bags of ready-to-use kale, home cooks can focus on cooking, while saving time normally needed for prep and cleanup.
Our kale is easy to cook, straight from the bag. You can green up soups and hearty sauces (such as chunky spaghetti sauce) or sauté it simply, for a clean, pure flavor. Lightly steamed or braised in stock, it makes a beautiful bed for a piece of fish.
Cooking Tips
Most cooking greens shine with simple preparation. Here are a couple of additional tips for kale:
- Kale has a hearty, sturdy leaf, and can stand up to simmering, so feel free to toss it into soups. Its flavor will not overpower.
- Finely shredded, you can substitute kale in nearly any type of cole slaw salad recipe instead of cabbage.
- For a simple side dish, sauté kale in a bit of olive oil, add some chopped garlic and/or onion, and stir-fry for a few minutes. Finish with a short splash of lemon juice or vinegar, and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes if you like.
- Braise kale in a bit of chicken stock, it holds up well when cooked.
- Some people believe that freezing, even if just overnight, makes kale sweeter and tastier. Try it for yourself. You may freeze Cut `n Clean Greens Kale right in the unopened bag.
A sweet mellow cabbage flavor
Disease Fighting Food
Kale has the highest antioxidant rating of any vegetable, and has more nutritional value for fewer calories than almost any other food. It can help with a number of health concerns:
- Lung health: Kale promotes lung health and can help reduce emphysema with its rich load of Vitamin A. One cup of kale gives you 192% of your daily value of Vitamin A!
- Antioxidant protection: Kale has the highest antioxidant rating of any vegetable, and its concentrated beta-carotene and Vitamin C content benefits by helping our bodies cleanse themselves of harmful compounds, disarming free radicals and preventing cell damage. This also may help reduce the severity of inflammatory conditions like asthma and arthritises, and boosts our immune system.
- Cancer fighter: The 10-15 sulfur-containing phytonutrients in kale seem able to lessen or even in some cases help prevent a variety of cancers, including breast, ovarian, prostate, colo-rectal, skin and lung.
- Eye health: Kale’s carotenoids, especially lutein and zeaxanthin, help prevent damage to the eyes from sunlight, and may protect against cataracts.
- The mind: Eating 2-3 servings of green leafy vegetables such as kale has been linked with lessening of age-related cognitive decline like memory. In other words, remember to eat your greens!
