The Markets

Confession:  there is a swath of produce I skip by. It's the collard greens, beet greens and kale section that perplexes me.  In my childhood home, stepping out was when a salad didn't begin with iceberg lettuce, but a more exotic (to us) combo of romaine and maybe some spinach.

I have resolved to solve the riddle of kale, and so bought a great big bunch of it.  It has curly edges and is an appealing dark green.  It seems like you get quite a lot for your money when you buy kale. 

Now, what do I do with it?  If anyone has a special favorite recipe, please send it my way. I have checked my cookbooks, and there's some hopeful news with Italian recipes that use kale.  I am thinking I will saute it tonight with some garlic and olive oil and add it to a pasta dish that's coming together nicely with bits of leftovers and inspired buys.  But I'm looking for that special dish, the star, that makes my hungry family sit up and take notice, and yes, even beg for more greens.  Kale is loaded with nutrients and antioxidants, but what about flavor?  And I am wondering if it does the spinach thing and shrinks up to nothing after it encounters some heat.  And one more thing:  recipes don't seem especially clear on whether or not you can or should or want to eat the stems.  We'll see...