Dinosaur Kale

Also known as Italian Heirloom Kale.

We like the stuff. It is really a beautiful and striking plant in our garden. Tall and spiky with dark blue-green pebbly (dinosaur skin like?) leaves. When it gets wet, the water has an iridescent quality on the leaves. The neighbor E who has an amazing flower cutting garden and way too many tomatoes commented on what a beautiful plant it was and what was it again?

Dinosaur Kale. You can eat it. Would you like some?

K and I picture dinosaurs munching on it when we aren't looking. When K goes out in the dark to get the am newspaper, I fully expect him to report back startling a dinosaur out of the garden enjoying it's greens.

And they are enjoyable. Easiest (and laziest) way to prepare is just snip off some leaves, wash and chop. This variety's stems are more tender than others I believe so the stems require no special handling. Mince and then saute some garlic in olive oil. Throw in the chopped greens, stir and watch them turn a beautiful deep green. Add a bit of water until they are tender which just takes a few minutes for me. Splash some balsamic vinegar on them and you are ready to eat like a dinosaur. And oh yes, these greens are nutritious enough to feed a big ol' dinosaur.

And dang these plants are easy to grow here in the Northwest. We bought 4 plants for cheap through the Olympic View Elementary School plant sale. It's a worthy cause and now our few bucks are paying us back. 3-4$ a bunch in the store. Organic? Yes. Way to lazy to do anything about the moths and/or slugs which are munching on the leaves (with the dinosaurs). I prefer to pick it from the garden.