Ingredient of the Week: Kale

Chef Tom Douglas says he can’t go anywhere without running into kale, one of the most ubiquitous superfoods. “It’s on every menu, it’s in the grocery store, it’s dried, it’s in salad,” he says. “Kale, now, is the biggest seller.”

The dark green, leafy vegetable is full of antioxidants and is jam-packed with healthful nutrients.

When picking kale, Tom says, you want a nice, crisp leaf. “If it feels soft and is kind of bent over, it means it’s probably been out of water for a while.”

Chef Thierry Rautureau adds that kale is a “very sturdy vegetable,” which makes it attractive to consumers – you can leave it in your crisper for several days without it falling prey to the slime that attacks other inferior lettuces.

If you’re trying to appease a child, Tom recommends cutting the kale into small, easy-to-attack pieces. “When you leave it whole-leaf and you have it on your fork, it’s just too much.”

When cleaning kale, Tom suggests pulling the leaf gently away from the thick stalk. The leaf should pull right off, saving you from having to cut the leaf off.

Whole Foods Markets are a proud sponsor of Seattle Kitchen’s Ingredient of the Week.