Dinosaurs had skin textures that fell into many categories, depending upon their lifestyles and adaptations: feathery like the birds of today; membranous and furry like bats; smooth and camouflaged like marine mammals; or bumpy, and gnarly like sauropods or the giant dinosaurs that we are familiar with. But in 18th century Italy farmers began to cultivate a green leafy vegetable that was eventually called “dinosaur kale,” due to its bumpy leaves, but now called Tuscan kale or Lacinato kale–one of the finest examples of nourishing and tasty leafy green veggies.
Jeff Bialis of J&A farms, Goshen, one of the farmers from the Lakeside Farmers Market, likes to grow Tuscan kale because it is so versatile in the kitchen. Chefs use it in many dishes because of its ability to be used in soups or sauteing. “I simply like to sautée it with a little olive oil and fresh garlic,” offers Bialis. “It behaves differently than other kinds of kale because its leaves are more tender and flavorful. It tends to reveal a more earthy and nutty flavor.”
Chef Vinny DelGiudice, MS CCC-SLP, suggests this recipe:
Ingredients
- 1 head Tuscan kale
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 lemon
- 3 cloves garlic
- ½ cup water
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Directions:
Prepare the kale by washing and then cutting the kale in half. In a Dutch oven (or heavy cast iron skillet) on medium heat, add olive oil and wait until shimmering. Stir in the garlic until fragrant, about 1 and a half minutes. Add the cherry tomatoes and juice from the whole lemon. Stir occasionally until the cherry tomatoes begin to break down slightly about 3 to 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Once the cherry tomatoes have begun to break down, add in the kale and ¼ cup of water. Save a ¼ cup for later. Cover the pot and let the kale braise for 15 minutes, stirring once at the halfway point. If when you open the pot at the halfway point, there is no liquid, add the rest of the water. Open the Dutch oven and add the pat of butter. Stir until it is completely melted throughout the sauce. Remove the kale from the Dutch oven and serve.
The Lakeside Farmers Market, [VillageofGreenwoodLake.org/lakeside-farmers-market], has only one Saturday left in its season that began in early June of this year. The market has seen a steady growth in traffic and a growing interest among vendors to participate in the weekly event that is held at Winstanley Park on Windermere Avenue, and is inviting more vendors to join the other farmers and purveyors in the 2025 season.
Photo credit: Peter Lyons Hall
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