Kale Cavolo Nero – this winter vegetable is perfect for our northern climate. The textured leaves become slightly sweeter in taste after the first frosts. This home grown vegetable can be used in all sorts of recipes – from soups to salads, kale crisps and to complement meat dishes. The crinkled leaves are an attractive addition to your vegetable plot during the winter months adding structural interest.
In the Garden
Sow the seeds in April – May ideally into 10cm pots using ordinary multi purpose compost. Once the seedlings have reached about 15-20cm in size you can then transplant them out into your vegetable pot or raised beds. Space them about 45cm apart, as they can grow up to 1m tall during the growing season. Cavolo Nero is a 1cut and come again1 variety meaning the leaves once cut for the kitchen will regrow. Evenly harvest from your plants to prevent exhausting just one plant. This vegetable is known for being generally pest and disease free – it also doesn’t require a huge amount of water to grow.
Recipe: Kale Crisps
1 baking tray with kale leaves 100g
Olive oil (50ml)
A sprinkling of sea salt ( you can also try paprika or ras el hanout spices)
Serves 2
- Wash the kale leaves with water.
- Shake the leaves dry.
- Lightly drizzle olive oil onto the leaves and gently mix to ensure the leaves are covered evenly.
- Then sprinkle the sea salt or spices over the leaves.
- Place the leaves onto a baking tray and cook at 200C in the oven for 10-15 minutes until the leaves are crisp.
- Serve in a dish and enjoy eating as a healthy alternative to potato crisps.
Get Planting! 