Latin name: Brassica oleracea var. “Lacinato”
🌱 Days to Sprout: 7-21
😋 Plant food: after true leaves
✂️ Thin to: 1 plant per yCube
🍅 Days to Maturity: 65
💡 Light Zone: Moderate
📏 Plant Size: 1 ft
💚 Care Level: Beginner
Origin
Kale Lacinato is a long-standing staple of Italian cuisine and native to the Mediterranean region. Sometimes called dinosaur kale for its leathery appearance, it is also known as Tuscan kale as it has been used there for centuries.
Qualities
Kale is known as a superfood for its high nutrient density. Kale Lacinato is low in calories and exceptionally high in vitamins A, K, and C, magnesium, antioxidants, and beta-carotene.
Use
Kale is a versatile green delicious fresh or cooked. Try gently massaging fresh leaves to help break down some of their fiber and make them easier to eat. Raw, steamed, or sautéed leaves taste great in salads, rice bowls, soups, and smoothies. You can also bake it into kale chips!
Care & Harvest
💡Temperature: Prefers cooler temperatures (60-70°F).
✂️ Pruning: Check the roots monthly and trim any that are brown or extending past the yPod.
🥬 Harvest: For ongoing harvest, snip the outer leaves just above the base of the plant once they reach 2-3 inches tall to let the inner leaves continue to grow. Leave 1/3 of the plant if you want it to keep growing. To harvest the full head, wait until it reaches maturity, then harvest from the base.
Harvest To Plate Recipe
Paleo Sautéed Kale Lacinato
Photo / Recipe Source: I Heart Umami
Ingredients
- 10 oz. kale lacinato, stems removed and dice to 1-inch pieces (see notes)
- 0.4 oz. cloves garlic, finely minced (about 2 large cloves)
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- ¼ tsp coarse sea salt or to taste
- ½ tbsp vegetable or chicken stock
Instructions
- Rinse and wash the lacinato kale thoughtfully. Pat dry. Lay a kale leaf on a cutting board and run a paring knife along each side of the center stem. Repeat until all the stems have been removed. Stack 4-5 layers of kale leaves and roll them up to slice into 1-inch pieces. You want to keep the kale leaves with as little water as possible so use a salad spinner, if necessary.
- Mince garlic and set aside ready to use.
- In a well-heated large stainless steel or cast iron skillet, lower the heat to medium. Add 1 tbsp oil and saute garlic with a pinch of salt for 3-5 seconds.
- Add kale leaves and 1 extra tbsp olive oil. Toss and saute for 2 to 3 minutes further. Cover with a lid and cook for 1 minute.
- Open the lid, season with salt and stock. Saute for 30 seconds. Off heat, serve warm or in room temperature.
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