A return to kale

I started this blog (so long ago!) with some posts on kale, which at the time was a recent discovery. Back then, I only cooked with it, meaning I always ate it cooked, either braised or sautéed or added to soups. I can say without a doubt that I had never tried it raw.

Then I moved to California. This was probably at the height of kale's popularity (or infamy?). I think everything people say about California is more or less true, especially the food - there is a lot of fresh, local produce, and everything is done to preserve that freshness. And so, for the first time, I had raw kale. Of course, this raw kale was massaged into submission with a Caesar dressing or with avocados and lemons - something to break up the rawness. The first 10 times, I thought it was so delicious, I would eat a huge bowl of salad for dinner. I started to get a little bored, so I would vary the flavors - an Asian-style dressing using sesame oil and rice vinegar. Or I would accessorize: large shavings of Parmesan and slices of apples, or persimmons and almonds. Then it was in smoothies, with apples and avocados and mangoes and pineapple. And then on popcorn! But after that, I just couldn't any more, with the raw kale. It was time for a break.