TOSCANO KALE

Credit: Tha Dah

DESCRIPTION: Kale has been very popular in the local food scene for a long while now. So much so, that many people have overlooked the mighty collard. For those who just love greens, they'll use kale and collards interchangeably. For true collard lovers, they would never cook kale in place of collards.I happen to love both and I love them in part because they are different. I do often use them interchangeably because that's how I cook---I use whatever I have on hand. But I might adjust the recipe accordingly. If the collards are young and tender, like the ones y'all have been getting in your shares, then I would never stew them for a long time as in the Green Gumbo. But I would saute them with raisins and walnuts.Kale and Collards are close relatives and are both packed with Vitamins A and C. They are both cold tolerant and often improve in flavor after the first frost (they become sweeter). There are many different varieties of Kale and Collards and they all have slightly different flavors, textures, and growing characteristics. At TTCF we grow Toscano (Dino) Kale and Red Russian Kale and Champion Collards. My favorite is the Dino Kale and Vates Collards.