Kale_Ravioli_IMG_9527Remember kale, before it was a trendy superfood? You know, back in the late 90’s and early 00’s when you could sometimes, but not always, find it at Whole Foods. Back when Whole Foods was sometimes called Bread & Circus, and carbs were unfashionable.

Back then, I’d be in the mood for a hearty, dark green and I’d stop by Whole Foods (or Bread & Circus), hoping to find the lumpy kind of kale, rather than the curly kind. The lumpy kind was sometimes called Dinosaur kale, that was before it got all famous, and decided it preferred the superstar moniker, Lacinato.

I don’t mean to rail against kale, I actually do like the stuff, and I know how good it is for me. But I’m a little tired of it, we overindulged this summer. I’m over raw kale salad. I’ve had enough green smoothies (that’s approximately one, btw).

So what to do with the two big bunches of Dinosaur (Lacinato, Tuscan etc.) kale from my CSA box? What we did at the turn of the century, of course, cook it! That’s right, I said cook, over heat, until it’s chewably soft… and delicious!

With our kale—which Rose and I devoured and Shane graciously declined—we had some nice dairy-filled gluten, with a quick sauce, made from fresh CSA plum tomatoes.

• Basic Sautéed Kale •

1 bunch kale
a few glugs of olive oil
a couple of cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
a pinch of red pepper flakes
salt

Wash the kale well, cut out the tough stems and cut the leaves into 1″ strips. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add smashed garlic cloves and cook until fragrant but not too brown, a minute or two, add red pepper flakes and kale. Cook, stirring frequently, until kale leaves are wilted and soft enough to chew without overexerting yourself, and bright green. Season with salt, to taste and serve.