My new favorite meal is...boiled kale. I know, I know it sounds gross. Boiled vegetables, bleechh. All the vitamins end up in the water, the vegetables are nasty, we've heard this all before. But you have to believe me, boiled kale is undeniably good. I first read about it here and found a nice bunch of kale for $1 at the Sunday market. So why not?

My variations to Orangette's recipe (as reproduced from Zuni Cafe) include substituting broth made from bouillon for the stock (didn't have any stock on hand, and definitely too cheap to buy some), and whatever bread I had on hand for the toast. In this case, some week-old bread from the Wallingford bakery (can't beat $1 per loaf)!


The result was a spicy and somewhat sweet kale broth, to which the fried egg only added extra richness. Something about the simmering process renders the kale sort of buttery and soothing, and brings out some hidden sweetness, in a way I never thought green leafy vegetables could be. Be sure to include the egg and the red pepper flakes to this recipe, I bet it wouldn't be nearly as good without it.

Oh! And don't forget the next-to-last step, rubbing a clove of raw garlic over the toast *right* after it comes out of the toaster. The garlic melts just a little bit against the toast, and releases some delicious aromas. I don't know if it matters much to the final taste of the dish, but it sure feels fancy.

Boiled Kale

1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic
red pepper flakes
olive oil
1 bunch kale, washed and drained
2-3 cups of your favorite stock
salt and pepper to taste

In a large saucepan, heat a dash of oil and saute the onion until translucent. Add 2 cloves thinly sliced garlic and red pepper flakes and saute a few minutes longer to let the flavors come out. Add kale, and turn gently until wilted. Top with enough stock to cover the kale; bring to a simmer, cover, and keep simmering on low heat until the kale is tender, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, fry an egg in a bit of olive oil. Prepare toast from the best bread you have on hand, and rub a clove of garlic across it while it is still hot. Place toast into a shallow bowl; top with kale, a bit of olive oil, and the fried egg. Garnish as you like, perhaps with freshly grated cheese, or just salt and freshly ground pepper. I added a little extra broth to the bottom of the bowl, so the toast could soak it up.

Curl up and enjoy :)