This holiday weekend, I ordered my locally raised turkey burger without a bun, added oyster mushrooms and blue cheese and went with the side salad instead of fries. I was drinking my calories in the form of nationally recognized Hill Farmstead's award winning beer. I'm spoiled and I know it. I live in a pretty awesome place to be a foodie, but even I was taken aback when the waitress asked me if I wanted my burger on a bed of streamed kale in lieu of a bun. Seriously? Hell yeah.
I caught this awesome reflection of the glass lettering in my beer working in the garden a few weeks ago.
I've mentioned kale in a few of my posts, but I've never given it the front and center focus I think it deserves. As much as I am known by my friends for my slight obsession with beets, I am just as teased for my excessive kale consumption. My mom got me the book 'Kale: The Complete Guide to the World's Most Powerful Superfood.' So I grabbed it off the shelf to reference my green friend's multiple health benefits and found the chapter that covers that topic is 16 pages long!
So I could list off a bunch of vitamin letters and mineral names and tell you all the bennies of incorporating them into your diet, but that would make for a really long post that reads like a medical journal. Instead I'll sum up those 16 pages by saying that kale has 22 really awesome things that your body needs and eating 1-2 cups of it 3 times per week is really freaking good for you. It makes your skin look phenomenal, increases your physical stamina, eases joint pain, improves eyesight and boosts your immune system. Research has also shown that it helps prevent and heal heart conditions, high cholesterol, cancer and diseases of the gall bladder and liver. I'm also convinced that my border collie will live a very long and healthy life because of how much kale he consumes. As soon as he hears the first kale stem break he runs into the kitchen, tilts his head and begs for his greens.
You can drink it in a smoothie, massage it with oil and vinegar to make the perfect salad base or try it steamed in lieu of a bun. Do whatever works for you to get this superfood into your body. Personally, I swear I feel like I have plugged myself into a wall socket after I've eaten a big kale salad. My hair and nails are strong and always growing, I rarely ever get sick and I have never had to purchase a laxative.
We are growing five types of kale in the garden this year. We've increased the crop size every year as we continue to find a zillion ways to use it. It's super easy to grow and some varieties are even frost tolerant (we love that in Vermont). If you're new to this superfood, I am so excited for you to experience the benefits of bringing this healer into your life. And for those of you who have been on the bandwagon for ages, I'd love it if you would share your favorite way to enjoy it. Long before the coveted t-shirts and the battle with Chik-fil-A, farmers have been telling us to Eat More Kale.