Harvest of the Month: Kale

Harvest of the Month: Kale

Click buttons below to explore other autumn fruits and veggies:

Apples
Broccoli
Cranberries
Winter Squash

Table of Contents

Facts

Nutrition and Seasonality

Trying New Foods

Add Kale to Your Favorite Family Meals

Books

Kale Chips

Garden Connection

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Facts

Spanish translation: La col rizada

Hmong translation: Zaub qhwv nplooj caws

Kale has been grown in Europe and Asia for over 2,000 years.

Celebrate National Kale Day the first Wednesday in October.

Kale is a part of the Brassicaceae family along with collard greens, wild cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, kohlrabi, and Brussels sprouts.

There are over 50 varieties of kale. Popular varieties of kale include curly kale, Red Russion, Redbor, and Lacinato. Lacinato kale is also called Dinosaur kale because of its bumpy leaves.

Nutrition and Seasonality

Key Nutrients

  • Vitamin K – Needed for blood clotting, preventing excessive bleeding.
  • Vitamin A – Keeps skin and bones healthy, resists and fights infection, maintains good eyesight.
  • Vitamin C – Helps wounds heal, is important for the immune system, and is an antioxidant, which protects our cells from damage.

Seasonality

  • Fresh kale grown in Wisconsin is available from May through October.

Trying New Foods

Children love to explore food using their five senses.

Allow them to use their clean hands to rub chopped raw kale before adding it to a salad. This is called “massaging” the kale. It helps to soften the leaves. This is a great way to encourage them to try new foods!

  1. Select: Choose dark colored kale bunches.
  2. Store: Store kale in a plastic bag in the coldest part of the fridge for 3-5 days.
  3. Prepare: Rinse leaves under cool running water.

Add Kale to Your Favorite Family Meals

  • Add fresh kale to smoothies or salads.
  • Steam fresh kale and season with lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
  • Mix chopped kale into the pot with pasta 5 minutes before it is done. Strain and add your favorite sauce.

Books

  • Captain Kale and the Super Foods by Amy Roth
  • The Tale of Kale: Based on a Kid’s Real Story by Lisa Borden

Kale Chips

Bake kale in the oven to make kale chips. Kids can help rip kale into bite-sized pieces. Toss with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Place kale pieces on a cookie sheet. Bake in the oven at 375°F until they are crispy, about 10-15 minutes.

Garden Connection

Planting

Kale is a cool season plant and can withstand frosts and snowfall, but it doesn’t love the summer heat. Plant seeds early in the spring about ½ inch deep and 8 inches apart. You can also plant again 6-8 weeks before the first fall frost for a late season harvest.

Harvesting

Harvest kale when several leaves have developed. Cut older, larger leaves and allow younger leaves to keep growing. You can continue to harvest kale through the season.

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