Happy Farm Fact Friday, everyone. This week’s topic is something green and something we grow often during the fall and winter seasons, and also something we just planted for the season, kale! We typically grow two varieties, dinosaur and curly. Due to their frost-resistant nature and need for considerable amounts of sun, they’re good for our unpredictable winters, produce a considerable amount of food, and look gorgeous and green on the farm when growing.
Dinosaur kale has an interesting, dinosaur-skin like texture on its leaves, which gives it its name. Meanwhile, curly kale has similarly large leaves, except with lots of small ridges that curl in, hence the name. Curly can be good for dishes that you want to add texture to, while dinosaur is closer to a more lettuce-like texture. They’re members of the mustard family, like arugula, broccoli, and turnips.
Have you tried cooking with kale before, only to find its flavor lacking? It’s recommended to massage your kale to help release its flavors. It can be added as a green to lots of meals for extra nutrients and color, with a host of benefits from vitamin A and C, calcium, folate, magnesium, and iron. It can be good for inflammation, bone health, digestion, and heart health. You can even get a kale facial, which can improve skin tone and reduce lines and wrinkles. Additionally, it can be eaten in a variety of ways, from as a wrap, in a salad, in a smoothie, in soup or even as a healthy chip substitute, making it easy to add into your diet.
You can read more about kale and its health benefits here, and check out a quick recipe we recommend here.
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