Kale City!

The good news is that the Toscano kale that I planted is flourishing - I plan to harvest it in the next few days.

The less-than-good news is that we also got a big bunch of Red Russian kale in our CSA bag last week.  That means kind of a lot of kale for 2 people in one week.  We do use some of this in juice, but I like trying to come up with other ways to cook it (besides the ubiquitous chips). And it absolutely had to be cooked last night, as it was starting to wilt quite depressingly in the fridge.

So, kale joined a few other random kitchen inhabitants in what I have decided to call "Mexican-Inspired Hash."

That blurriness in the middle frame is actually the steam coming off of my dinner - couldn't wait long enough to get a good photo!

To make this, you will need the following:

1 medium yellow onion, chopped*
2 medium sweet potatoes (yams)
1 package of chicken sausage (I used Spicy Jalapeno, which inspired the "Mexican-Inspired")
as much kale as you need to get rid of
1 clove garlic

*You could also add peppers or mushrooms if you have them on hand - chop them in pieces the same size as the onions and add in the same step

1. Heat some oil in a large saute pan over medium heat and add the onions
2. While the onions are cooking, peel and chop the sweet potatoes
3. Add the sweet potatoes to the pan, stirring with the onions.  At this point I also added a dash of Adobo seasoning, which imparts a nice "Mexican-Inspired" flavor
4. While the potatoes and onions are cooking, slice and dice the sausage into small pieces
5. Add the sausage, stirring again.  Increase heat to medium high (I did this to add some browning/charring to the sausage and potatoes)
6. Chop the kale into small pieces and add to pan
7. Mince or finely chop one clove of garlic
8. Add garlic to pan and reduce heat to medium-low.  Toss all ingredients
9. Cook until kale is your desired tenderness

This meal borders on "hearty," so I enjoyed mine with some salsa and guacamole to kind of brighten things up.

In general, when I am not putting kale into juice or dehydrating it into chips, I cook it like this - adding it at the end of dishes that are akin to stir-fries.  It cooks up quickly and adds nice color and vitamins to whatever you are making!  I make something along these lines probably once a week, with whatever veggies we have on hand, with or without meat, sometimes with eggs, sometimes with cheese... the possibilities are really endless.  You just need a generous saute pan and a hot stove!