The market · Vegetables · Northern and Central Europe

Kale

A hardy, frost-sweetened brassica, from curly to the dark Tuscan cavolo nero.

earthy · bitter
Kalejust in

What to do with it

Rosa Ibarra's Clarified milk punch, mezcal and pineappleKale would temper its sweetnessKenji Hara's Milk punch, with hojichaKale would temper its sweetness

Kinds

Cavolo nero
Long, dark, crinkled — the one for ribollita.
Curly kale
Sturdy, for crisping and braising.

Goes with

garlicchillilemonanchovy

Knowing it

Where to buy
Anywhere. Strip the leaves from the stalks.

More vegetables, in season with it

VegetablesAgrettimineral, faintly salty, crunchyNot cooked here yetVegetablesArtichokesnutty, grassy, bitterbitterNot cooked here yetjust inVegetablesBrussels sproutsnutty when browned, sweet, bitterbitterNot cooked here yetat its peakVegetablesButternut squashsweet, nutty2 classics