I read one of those columns by some food writer about what’s in and what’s out for 2013, and on the list of what’s out was kale.  And I thought, how can kale be out when it’s hardly been in??  It’s so good for you and is so abundant right now that we should work a little harder to figure out how we can work it into our diets.  We can’t give up so easily and declare it out of fashion so quick.

I’ve found that drizzled with some great extra virgin olive oil, steamed kale is a delicious side dish, especially with pork.    While cooked spinach goes limp, kale retains a satisfying chewiness after it’s cooked.  It’s the perfect addition to a big pot of vegetable soup, adding color, texture and nutrition.  I love it raw in a salad, chopped very fine.  Kale chips are fun, although I find you have to eat them right away; they don’t taste so good the next day.

But I think my favorite way to eat it is on a slice of toasted bruschetta!  Take some great country bread, sliced and toasted in the oven, then drizzled with the new oil you brought back from Tuscany, or just picked up at Costco* (see below!), then topped with juicy steamed kale and lots of olive oil.  Maybe a sprinkling of crunchy sea salt.

Oh, the vegetable that article said was in for 2013?  Cauliflower.

Bruschetta with Kale

One bunch of kale, washed and chopped

1 garlic clove

Extra virgin olive oil

Bread slices, toasted

Place the kale and garlic clove in a large saute pan, add 1″ water and sea salt, put a lid on it and cook over a medium high heat until it’s cooked through and wilted.  Drizzle it generously with the olive oil then place it on the bread slices that you’ve also drizzled with olive oil.  Eat.

If you want to add a little protein and make it a meal, add a can of cannellini beans!

*Costco sells new Tuscan olive oil.  Look for the square green glass bottle that says “Kirkland Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Tuscany 2012”.