a picture is worth a thousand words

I've always been amazed at how alive freshly-picked produce seems when I wash it. Usually I swish it around in a stainless steel bowl of cool tap water in the kitchen sink. Whether it's broccoli, radishes, or greens, it glimmers and glows and there is a definite sense of life or spirit. Always had a feeling that produce from the grocer was quite different but until I did this cool little experiment, I wasn't sure.

The kale on the left is minutes from my garden. The kale on the right is from Whole Foods. They look like the same variety although my garden kale leaves are much smaller. The leaves were placed in this water and a picture taken with my little Sony Cyber-shot. No more, no less.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words so I'll say no more.

                                                                garden kale (l) and grocery kale (r)

thousand words kale
Slice 1/2 to 1 whole onion and saute slowly in olive oil until it begins to carmelize a little. Add 2 chopped cloves of garlic. Saute a few minutes more.

While the onion is cooking, toast your pecans at 325 degrees for about 5-7 minutes. When you begin to smell the aroma of the pecans, they're perfectly toasted.

Add a hefty bunch of loosely chopped kale leaves from which the stems have been removed. Saute slowly until nearly tender.

At this point, I usually remove everything from the pan, set it aside, and begin to prepare the protein, usually marinated chicken breasts or sausage. When there is still about 5 minutes of cooking time left for the protein, add the kale mixture back to the pan and cover until the protein is done. At the last minute, add a handful of toasted pecans and a handful of dried cranberries or any dried fruit. Season to your taste.

This is my favorite kale recipe. I'd love to know yours? See you Monday, have a nice weekend.

(Also posted at Food Renegade and Western Gardeners.)