Produce Briefs...
Organic Sugar Pie Pumpkins
Sugar pie pumpkins are most commonly used for baking. Roast pumpkin, scoop out and puree cooked flesh, then combine with eggs, cream, sugar and spices and bake into pie.
Ambrosia Apples
Ambrosia apples are a medium to large bi-colored variety, with butter-yellow skin that is blushed with red.
Description/Taste
Purple kale produces serrated and ruffled vibrant purple leaves that are variegated in shades of dusty green. This attractive vegetable offers a very robust cabbage flavor more intense than that of green or black kale. Its leaves have a chewy semi-crisp texture that softens with cooking, but the fibrous stems remain tough and should be removed.
Seasons/Availability
Purple kale is available year-round with a peak season during winter.
Current Facts
Purple kale is a variety of Brassica oleracea that is not only grown for culinary use, but also for its ornamental value. It is cultivated from a dwarf variety of Scotch kale and looks like a giant ruffled flower. Other colored kale varieties include, Red Russian and Redbor, both of which have less of the bicolored green variegation.
Nutritional Value
Purple kale is an excellent source of vitamins A and C, iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, protein, carbohydrates and dietary fiber.
Applications
When harvested young, the tender Purple kale greens are a great intense addition to mixed green salads. They are great carriers for peanuts, almonds, tamari, chiles and other Asian ingredients like sesame oil and ginger. The fully mature leaves lose some color when cooked, but may be steamed, braised, stewed, fried, sauteed, and even baked like a chip. They are great in hardy soups which contain smoked meats, potatoes, beans or barley. Other flavor affinities include, bay leaf, oregano, thyme, red pepper flake, nutmeg, shallots, onion, tomato, sweet potatoes, cheddar cheese, Parmesan, cream, roasted meats, chorizo sausage, pancetta and chicken.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Since kale survives well in cold climates, it is a favorite mealtime entree served in Scandinavia, Germany, Holland and Scotland. It is also popular in a Portuguese soup titled caldo verde, a hearty broth of potatoes, savories and sausage.
Geography/History
Decorative and delicious, Purple kale will grow in warmer climates, though cooler weather suits this flowering kale much better. It isn't quite as cold hardy as common green kale, but thrives in fertile, well-drained soils. Commercial kale crops are harvested between forty and fifty-five days after planting with new plantings every two weeks in order to provide year round supplies. A cool weather annual, Purple kale's cold-hardy personality makes its flavor even sweeter after a light frost.
Featured Restaurants
Restaurants currently purchasing this product as an ingredient for their menu.
| Barrio Star | San Diego CA | 619-501-7827 |
| Root Cellar Catering Co. | San Diego CA | 760-846-2092 |
| Bite SD | San Diego CA | 410-446-3404 |
| Morgan Run Resort and Club | Rancho Sante Fe CA | 858-756-2471 |
| The Joint | San Diego CA | 619-222-8272 |
| Tribute Pizza | San Diego CA | 858-220-0030 |
| Flying Pig Pub & Kitchen | Oceanside CA | 619-990-0158 |
| Sbicca | Del Mar CA | 858-481-1001 |
| Olive Tree Marketplace | San Diego CA | 619-962-7345 |
| The Wild Thyme Company | San Diego CA | 858-527-0226 |
| Sugar and Scribe | La Jolla CA | 858-274-1733 |
| Fireside by The Patio | San Diego CA | 858-270-9900 |
| Stone Brewing-Liberty Station | San Diego CA | 619-269-2100 |
| Bahia Resort Kitchen | San Diego CA | 858-488-0551 |
| La Jolla Country Club | San Diego CA | 858-454-9601 |
| JSIX American restaurant & Bar | San Diego CA | 619-531-8744 |
| Soda & Swine Liberty Station | San Diego CA | 619-501-9989 |
| Green Dragon Tavern & Museum | Carlsbad CA | 760-797-5579 |
| Et Voilà! French Bistro | San Diego CA | 619-209-7759 |
| Coronado Cafe | National City CA | 610-477-1105 |
| Handlery Hotel & Resort | San Diego CA | 619-298-0511 |
| Kettner Exchange | San Diego CA | 312-415-5455 |
| Lodge at Torrey Pines Main | San Diego CA | 858-453-4420 |
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Kale Purple. One
is easiest, three is harder.Recently Spotted
People have spotted Kale Purple using the Specialty Produce app for iPhone and Android.
Produce Spotting allows you to share your produce discoveries with your neighbors and the world! Is your market carrying green dragon apples? Is a chef doing things with shaved fennel that are out of this world? Pinpoint your location annonymously through the Specialty Produce App and let others know about unique flavors that are around them.
Santa Monica Farmers Market
Dawn
Near Santa Monica, California, United States715-634-8633 About 609 days ago, 1/28/15 Spotter's comments : Purple Kale spotted at Santa Monica Farmers Market. Noe Valley Farmer's Market Near San Francisco, California, United States About 613 days ago, 1/24/15 Spotter's comments : Purple Kale spotted at Noe Valley Farmer's Market. SUPER purple organic kale from Happy Boy Farms!! Color up my meals! |
