I thought I knew a thing or two about kale…
…and then I ate kale from our garden.
In that basket, the first of our kale (Winterbor and Improved Siberian Dwarf) and beet greens. This kale was so damn tender. Unbelievably tender. Not only was it nothing like supermarket kale, it wasn’t even anything like farmer’s market kale. Why would kale from the garden be so different from farmer’s market kale? I’m guessing the farmers have to let the plants mature more and then harvest an entire plant to get those neat bundles to sell? And in the garden we’re able to just take leaves from the outside of the plant as they’re ready? And so they’re more tender because they’re younger leaves? Is that it? I have no idea. All I know is that was some damn good kale and I can’t wait for more to be ready. I think we’ll be able to harvest some more on Wednesday. I sauteed that nice bunch of greens you see there with tempeh, garlic, and a splash of mirin and served it over couscous. Thumper ate all his kale and asked for more.
On a less successful note, I killed my sourdough starter. I swear it was an accident. It all started off so very well, didn’t it? All those lovely loaves of sourdough. And then the weather got warmer and Thumper and I are almost never inside and it never seems to be the right day to bake bread. I’ve still been feeding the starter regularly, but I hadn’t baked with it in nearly a month, and I guess feedings without actual baking doesn’t cut it after a while. Last night I pulled it out of the fridge to make a sponge, planning to finally bake some bread today, and found a scummy coating of mold floating on top of the hooch. Yeah. Dead starter. A moment of silence, please.
I think I’ll go back to regular yeast breads for a while before establishing another starter. I don’t know if I’m really up for yet another life form entirely dependent on me keeping it alive.
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Sorry about your starter, I had to throw mine away when we moved cross country, I feel the pain of your lack of sourdough-y goodness. Congrats on the kale!
Sorry about your starter, I had to throw mine away when we moved cross country, I feel the pain of your lack of sourdough-y goodness. Congrats on the kale!
Kale! Straight from your garden! wow! This city girl is mighty impressed. I’ve eaten baby kale in a salad, though I wouldn’t even dream of doing that with the mature stuff that i get at the farmer’s market. Though now that I think about it, maybe it would work with lacinato kale. Mmmmm. I wish I were at the farmer’s market right now. Nicely done!
Kale! Straight from your garden! wow! This city girl is mighty impressed. I’ve eaten baby kale in a salad, though I wouldn’t even dream of doing that with the mature stuff that i get at the farmer’s market. Though now that I think about it, maybe it would work with lacinato kale. Mmmmm. I wish I were at the farmer’s market right now. Nicely done!
Everyone who’s never killed their sourdough starter take one step back…
Everyone who’s never killed their sourdough starter take one step back…
My favorite part of growing kale is the crunchy little buds that form when it starts to bolt. People who don’t grow their own really are missing out.
My favorite part of growing kale is the crunchy little buds that form when it starts to bolt. People who don’t grow their own really are missing out.
Mmmm. Kale. However, it was between kale and beets for the final open container and the beets won.
Maybe I’ll be sorry….
Mmmm. Kale. However, it was between kale and beets for the final open container and the beets won.
Maybe I’ll be sorry….
Isn’t it something — the difference between just-from-the-garden and even the farmer’s market?
And isn’t a melange of greens just about the best thing in the Whole Wide World?
Isn’t it something — the difference between just-from-the-garden and even the farmer’s market?
And isn’t a melange of greens just about the best thing in the Whole Wide World?
Too bad about the starter, but good for you on the kale! We had a pak choi explosion in our garden last week -so much that I had to bring a huge bag of it to work to give it away. And we still ate more last night. Yum.
Better than farmer’s market – I’m impressed!
Too bad about the starter, but good for you on the kale! We had a pak choi explosion in our garden last week -so much that I had to bring a huge bag of it to work to give it away. And we still ate more last night. Yum.
Better than farmer’s market – I’m impressed!
Woah. I just realized I never caught up with the move to your new site! I feel like I just watched your garden grow 2 months in the 15 minutes it took to read all of these posts. Fun! Jealous of your future beets…
Woah. I just realized I never caught up with the move to your new site! I feel like I just watched your garden grow 2 months in the 15 minutes it took to read all of these posts. Fun! Jealous of your future beets…
Alas poor sourdough. Oh well. Regular bread is still damned good.
Alas poor sourdough. Oh well. Regular bread is still damned good.
I killed my sourdough starter last week too (although I don’t usually make bread, I’m a sourdough pancake kind of person)…
I fed it, put it in the oven with the light on to keep warm overnight, and then accidentally turned the oven on to 350.
Two and a half hours later we woke to the smell of burning/melting plastic.
I’m lucky that the starter is the only thing I killed.
I killed my sourdough starter last week too (although I don’t usually make bread, I’m a sourdough pancake kind of person)…
I fed it, put it in the oven with the light on to keep warm overnight, and then accidentally turned the oven on to 350.
Two and a half hours later we woke to the smell of burning/melting plastic.
I’m lucky that the starter is the only thing I killed.
My Dad threw my first (and only, to date) attempt at a starter out in the trash. “But it smelled like beer!”
The kale sounds SO yummy, I wonder if it’s a different variety than we get in the store?
My Dad threw my first (and only, to date) attempt at a starter out in the trash. “But it smelled like beer!”
The kale sounds SO yummy, I wonder if it’s a different variety than we get in the store?
Poor sourdough starter. The kale sounds really good! I am getting hungry just thinking about it.
Poor sourdough starter. The kale sounds really good! I am getting hungry just thinking about it.
…staying put as Rams directed. Yep, I’ve killed starter as well. GLad to hear THumper is asking for more. My boy ate all the greens I tossed on his plate last night as well.
…staying put as Rams directed. Yep, I’ve killed starter as well. GLad to hear THumper is asking for more. My boy ate all the greens I tossed on his plate last night as well.
Ooh, yum! I had the same experience with my arugula. Wow!
Sorry about your starter. I’m impressed that you tried, though.
Ooh, yum! I had the same experience with my arugula. Wow!
Sorry about your starter. I’m impressed that you tried, though.
Yeah, our sourdough starter never survives the summer. Even if we try to hybernate it in the fridge. Maybe it’s the humid New England summers we have, but at least we can start more and have it ready in time for thanksgiving bisquits. See? Something to look forward to!
And what a good boy to eat his veggies! I know a lot of little ones his age who would fight to the death (well, maybe not quite) to avoid eating greens.
Yeah, our sourdough starter never survives the summer. Even if we try to hybernate it in the fridge. Maybe it’s the humid New England summers we have, but at least we can start more and have it ready in time for thanksgiving bisquits. See? Something to look forward to!
And what a good boy to eat his veggies! I know a lot of little ones his age who would fight to the death (well, maybe not quite) to avoid eating greens.
Hmm, you’re taking care of an entire garden so don’t sell yourself short on tending to living things entirely dependent upon you. Wish my little guy would eat kale solo – he ate it in a casserole, though.
Hmm, you’re taking care of an entire garden so don’t sell yourself short on tending to living things entirely dependent upon you. Wish my little guy would eat kale solo – he ate it in a casserole, though.
Exactly why I don’t do sourdough. The starter is a wee bit too demanding for me: “Bake with me now! Feed me now! If you don’t bake with me either today or tomorrow, I’m going belly up!”
Gardens are easier, they don’t seem to be quite so temperamental. (Though I do curse a bit when a tomato goes too long on the vine and gets a rotten spot.)
Exactly why I don’t do sourdough. The starter is a wee bit too demanding for me: “Bake with me now! Feed me now! If you don’t bake with me either today or tomorrow, I’m going belly up!”
Gardens are easier, they don’t seem to be quite so temperamental. (Though I do curse a bit when a tomato goes too long on the vine and gets a rotten spot.)
If you aren’t going to use your starter that week, make sure you remove enough of it to bake bread (that you aren’t going to make) before feeding it. You might be doing this already but it will kill one to not remove stuff every week. I think my mom could successfully hibernate hers in the fridge for the summer.
If you aren’t going to use your starter that week, make sure you remove enough of it to bake bread (that you aren’t going to make) before feeding it. You might be doing this already but it will kill one to not remove stuff every week. I think my mom could successfully hibernate hers in the fridge for the summer.
I just planted some kale for the first time on a whim, and have been out there every day since checking for sprouts, then checking if they’ve gotten bigger, then checking if the torrential rains we’re having has hurt them. It’s become so darned nerve-wracking. As soon as I read the “sauteed with tempeh” part it was all I could do not to jump up immediately and run out into the rain to check on my kale again. So impatient!
I just planted some kale for the first time on a whim, and have been out there every day since checking for sprouts, then checking if they’ve gotten bigger, then checking if the torrential rains we’re having has hurt them. It’s become so darned nerve-wracking. As soon as I read the “sauteed with tempeh” part it was all I could do not to jump up immediately and run out into the rain to check on my kale again. So impatient!
I joined a CSA for the first time this year and have been enjoying some mighty fine kale (and swiss chard) for the last three weeks. It is very tender I wonder if it will get tougher as the weeks progress.
Anyway, I just found your new blog today. I wondered where you were but now I see It was just me that had not kept up.
I joined a CSA for the first time this year and have been enjoying some mighty fine kale (and swiss chard) for the last three weeks. It is very tender I wonder if it will get tougher as the weeks progress.
Anyway, I just found your new blog today. I wondered where you were but now I see It was just me that had not kept up.
Kale! My new favorite vegetable. I’m sure the kind I get from my CSA is not as tender as yours (the leaves are twice as big as my head and very krinkly), but cooked with lots of garlic and some dried cranberries, yum yum, so good! Seriously, sounds weird but cranberries and kale are amazing together. Google a recipe, you won’t regret it.
P.S. Hi! I’m delurking because I love kale!
Kale! My new favorite vegetable. I’m sure the kind I get from my CSA is not as tender as yours (the leaves are twice as big as my head and very krinkly), but cooked with lots of garlic and some dried cranberries, yum yum, so good! Seriously, sounds weird but cranberries and kale are amazing together. Google a recipe, you won’t regret it.
P.S. Hi! I’m delurking because I love kale!