Kale can't fail

Kale is the Jeff Bridges of vegetables — been around forever, utility player, not the flashy type. Until lately.

Since being crowned prom king of locavore fads, kale has been putting on airs. All of a sudden, it's cozying up to caramelized onions and being photographed slathered in chanterelles.

Easy to grow and touted as the ne plus ultra of vitamin- and antioxidant-packed superfoods, kale is being used by chefs in just about everything.

Home-roasted kale chips have become a popular DIY snack food (Gwyneth Paltrow made them on "The Ellen Show"). The once-lowly leaves have inspired their own T-shirt, reading "Eat More Kale." It's so darned trendy that Slate essayist Scott Jacobson sarcastically dubbed it "now the only food worth the trouble of digesting."

"People really are crazy for kale," said Susan Berkson, a spokeswoman for the Minneapolis Farmers Market. "They're asking for it more, so our growers are growing more, and more variety, too — we're seeing the curly kale, the purple, red, dinosaur, Russian."

But kale has been around the Western world since some roving Celts brought it back to Europe from Asia Minor in about 600 B.C. Why all the interest now?

"It's loaded with things that are good for you, and if people are going to eat their greens, they want them to pack a punch," Berkson said.

The rise of community-supported agriculture (more commonly called CSAs) has also contributed to kale's newfound popularity. Because of its hardiness, the leaf has been popular with growers, who stuff their customers' boxes full of the green stuff along with tip sheets on what to do with it. Today there is even "The Book of Kale," by Sharon Hanna (Harbour Publishing).

Not everyone sings kale's praises. Vogue food critic Jeffrey Steingarten recently proclaimed it "not designed ... for human consumption" and added that "the current kale craze is a violation of the Natural Order."

Alex Roberts, chef/owner at Restaurant Alma and Brasa, observes that kale can be "polarizing. But as more people learn how to cook it, how to coax out its seductive flavor, more will like it. It's like Brussels sprouts when people first tried caramelizing them."

Roberts recommends starting with lacinato, more commonly known as dinosaur or Tuscan kale, "because it caramelizes really easily, and people really like it."

Kale is full of vitamins A, C, K and B6 and a good source of iron, folate and calcium. And let's not even get started on the percentage of daily fiber it can provide if not cooked into mush. Yet Minneapolis organic-eating pioneer Brenda Langton remembers that not so long ago, most Americans didn't consider it fit to eat.

"It used to be kept in coolers to use as garnish because it didn't wilt like lettuce. That was its only purpose," she said.

Langton, who was into kale a couple of decades before it was cool, has some advice for newbies who find the raw leaves a little too earthy for their taste.

"You don't need to sauté it. That's a common mistake," she said. "Braise it with a quarter cup or so of water, or use apple juice if you want it sweeter."

Another tip, from the website kaleeffect.com (purveyor of those T-shirts), is to separate the leaves from the stems right away to ward off bitterness.

Hardy kale is from the same vegetable family as collards but tends to be a darker, more grayish-green and usually has a stronger, chewier taste. If you get a hankering to grow your own, it's still doable this season — and so easy. Kale is self-seeding, grows at will and can even be planted indoors in pots.

One thing that's extra-great about kale, Langton said, is that it can tolerate extreme temperatures: "It grows when it's snowing; it grows when it's hot."

Not only that, Roberts said, but some varieties "actually get to tasting better after a cold snap."

Oh, kale. Is there anything you can't do?

KALE AND EDAMAME FRITTERS

Makes 16 to 20 (2-inch) fritters

1 cup frozen shelled edamame

1 heaping cup kale leaves

1⁄2 teaspoon salt, plus a pinch or two, see cook's notes

1 teaspoon ginger root, minced

1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons water

2 eggs, separated

2 tablespoons flour

1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder

Vegetable oil, for frying

Gorgeous Green Chutney (recipe follows)

Cook's notes: Don't skimp on the salt. Serve these fritters with Gorgeous Green Chutney (recipe follows) and sour cream. From “The Book of Kale,” by Sharon Hanna.

Preparation

In bowl of food processor, combine edamame, kale leaves, salt, ginger and cumin. Pulse briefly once or twice — the mixture should still be recognizable and not a paste. Add water, egg yolks, flour and baking powder; pulse once or twice more. Scrape mixture into a bowl.

Beat egg whites until they hold peaks but are not completely stiff. Using a spatula, fold into the edamame/kale mixture.

Heat a little oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high. Drop batter by spoonfuls and fry for about three minutes on each side. Turn the heat down a little once the fritters get frying.

Do not crowd the fritters. Fry five or six at a time, then remove and drain on paper towels. You'll have to add a little more oil to the pan each time. Serve with Gorgeous Green Chutney.

GORGEOUS GREEN CHUTNEY

Makes about 1-1⁄2 cups

1 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped

1⁄4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves

1 tart apple (Granny Smith works well), cut into chunks

1 fresh jalapeño, seeded, deveined

1 medium tomato, cubed

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 small garlic clove, minced

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

1⁄2 teaspoon whole cumin seed

Cook's notes: This is more of a fresh salsa than the usual chutney. It's good on grilled chicken or fish, as a bruschetta topping, or on a crunchy rice cracker with a dab of goat's cheese, cream cheese or brie. From “The Book of Kale,” by Sharon Hanna.

Preparation

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and whirl briefly until ingredients are finely chopped.

KALE WITH WHITE BEANS AND ROASTED GARLIC

Serves four to six

8 cups Tuscan kale, trimmed and cut in chiffonade (in thin strips or shreds)

1-1⁄2 cups cooked cannellini or other white beans, drained

3 whole heads of garlic, roasted, cloves removed and skinned

6 to 8 red radishes, quartered

6 small tomatoes, quartered

Flat Italian parsley leaves, for garnish

For Basil Vinaigrette:

3 tablespoons wine vinegar

1 garlic clove

1⁄4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Pinch of salt

1⁄4 cup fresh basil leaves

Cook's notes: For more tender greens, blanch the kale a minute or two before cutting. Add a handful of pepitas (raw pumpkin seeds) for extra crunch. From “The Book of Kale,” by Sharon Hanna.

Preparation

Place kale on a platter or in shallow, wide bowl. Scatter beans around artfully, then compose the salad by placing the veggies all over. Garnish with parsley. Dress with basil vinaigrette or another that you like.

To make vinaigrette: In a blender, process ingredients until creamy, adding a bit of extra oil if needed. (Makes about 3⁄4 cup vinaigrette.)

NUTTY KALE PENNE

Serves six

Salt

1-1⁄2 pounds kale, leaves torn from stem and center ribs (discard stems and ribs)

1⁄2 cup sliced almonds

1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 large garlic cloves, minced

1 medium onion, chopped

1⁄4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Salt and black pepper

1 pound whole-wheat penne

1⁄2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1⁄4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut in pieces

Cook's notes: From Gourmet's "Easy Dinners."

Preparation

Cook kale in a 6- to 8-quart pot of well-salted boiling water, uncovered, until just tender, four to eight minutes.

Transfer kale with tongs to a colander; reserve water. When kale is cool enough to handle lightly, squeeze to remove excess liquid, then chop into bite-size pieces. Return water to a boil for pasta.

Cook nuts in oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring, until golden, about two minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Cook garlic, onion, pepper flakes and 1⁄4 teaspoon salt and 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper in remaining oil, stirring occasionally, eight to 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

Cook penne in boiling water until al dente. Reserve about 2 cups of pasta water, then drain pasta. Return pasta to empty pot; stir in cheese, butter, kale, onion mixture, 1 cup reserved pasta water, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook over low heat, stirring, one minute, moistening with additional pasta water if desired. Serve sprinkled with almonds and additional cheese.

SAVORY KALE SCONES WITH SQUASH AND CHEESE

Makes eight to 10

2 cups kale leaves, loosely packed

2 cups unbleached flour

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon sugar

1⁄3 cup cold butter

1 egg

3⁄4 cup buttermilk

1⁄2 cup cooked squash or pumpkin in small dice

3⁄4 cup cheddar cheese, grated

Cook's notes: These are dropped by the spoonful, but you could also use a cookie cutter or knife to make triangles or other shapes. If you are making smaller ones, knead in about 1⁄4 cup extra flour at the end to make the dough easier to handle.

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Set oven rack in the middle.

Steam kale for a minute or two, just to blanch. Chop kale finely, squeezing out as much liquid as you can. You should have less than 1 cup chopped kale. If you have more, save it for soup or eat it. (Too much will make the scones sticky.)

Blend or sift the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and sugar together. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or your fingers.

In a small bowl, beat the egg, then add the buttermilk, continuing to beat until well combined. Add egg/buttermilk mixture, along with squash, kale and cheese to dry ingredients, mixing with a fork just enough to combine.

Drop by spoonfuls onto parchment paper-covered cookie sheet. Bake about 20 minutes until lightly browned.