Winter’s Bounty
The vegetable that will cure cravings for fresh produce in December
Read more to learn about local kale, courtesy of Candice Schultz from Writing Victoria and EATMagazine.ca.
Fresh, local and seasonal may seem like tough concepts to consider when Old Man Winter comes to visit. Our minds drift to sunny summer months – markets, teeming with fresh fruit and veggies, or al fresco meals made with just-picked ingredients. It’s enough to make one feel a little bit wistful and look forward to farm-fresh produce in the spring. But here and now, on Vancouver Island in the middle of December, fresh and local ingredients are not only available but delicious.
Living in the Pacific Northwest opens a myriad of opportunities for winter cuisine. With fresh produce to choose from year round, it’s not difficult to understand why the slow food movement has gained ferocious momentum on the West Coast. Even when the temperature drops and the sky clouds over, there are plenty of fresh edibles to choose from. Kale is just one example. This deeply coloured winter green is proof that eating locally during the winter months doesn’t mean that you have to forgo flavour.
An underrated but versatile vegetable, kale is most appetizing in the middle of winter until early spring. This hardy green has a strong flavour that tones down after freezing. As a result, kale is the sweetest now because the leaves have been exposed to frost. Kale is a member of the Brassica family and related to collard greens, brussel sprouts and broccoli. A descendant of wild cabbage, kale’s large, curled leaves don’t grow around a central head. Different varieties, such as Russian kale, grow readily on the Island and can make a delicious complement to cold weather cuisine.
Kale is considered tastier when cooked and often takes a supporting role in meals. It can complement pastas, soups and stir fries but sautéing or roasting the vegetable highlights its earthier qualities. When shopping, look for deeply coloured, unwilted kale. The smaller leaves are the most tender and have a delicate cabbagey flavour. Be sure to eat the kale as soon as possible because it becomes bitter the longer it is stored.
Not to be outdone in the flavour department, look to this cousin of cabbage as a way of cashing in on a wide variety of vitamins and minerals. Packed with antioxidants and touted for its anticarcinogenic properties, kale is widely regarded as a “super food.” It also possesses the aesthetic characteristics that make it a popular garnish or decoration. Kale’s curly leaves and sturdy stems along with its rich green – sometimes blue or purple – hues make it an eye catching vegetable.
What’s best about kale, though, is that it’s available in the winter when it seems like fresh options are limited. So, when you’re looking to get your fill of local veggies in December, remember that you don’t have to look far, and you definitely don’t have to wait until spring.