I got an earlier start on my fall garden this year compared to other years and it is doing well. So well in fact, that I went ahead and picked my first batch of kale. I planted Lacinato kale because I prefer it over the curly variety–it’s much easier to wash because it’s flat.
Here’s what they looked like before I started picking:
And here’s what it looked like after I was finished picking:
And here’s the giant Ikea bag full of kale:
I stemmed it all and got it ready to wash:
I blanched it all in boiling water and then put it in an ice bath to stop the cooking process and put it into quart sized freezer bags.
It’s amazing how you can start with a giant bag of kale and end up with this much at the end.
People ask me what I do with all the kale and here’s what I make: saag paneer; a sausage, potato, and kale soup; a pesto chicken quinoa power bowl; and sometimes I put it in the ricotta filling in lasagna instead of spinach. I really like kale and it’s so good for you.
By the way, this whole process took about 4 hours–from picking, to packaging.
Cathy At Home on the River 