Krazy for Kale

It’s rough being roughage, as everyone wants to make a joke out of you. Luckily for kale, it seems to be in culinary fashion of late, dressing up more dishes throughout the area—such as the braised Tuscan kale with the roasted Jidori chicken at Hollister Brewing Company—than one might imagine. The best part about kale is it’s easy to cook at home—just let it wilt away in some olive oil and shallot, then splash with some balsamic vinegar and seasoning, and you’ve got a hearty side. Even better, the Farmers Market is rich with varieties of kale, in particular the stand run by Roots Farm, which offers several varieties of both green and purple kale (how exciting that the purple retains its color when cooked, unlike purple green beans, say), all delicious. It’s nutritious, too, and during cold and flu season, you can’t have too many tasty antioxidants. When in doubt, hit Whole Foods and get the kale salad, sparked with tart cranberries, already premade.