Saturday, March 14, 2020

Red Russian

That's the variety of kale that Ken planted in the vegetable garden last spring. It grew beautifully but, just before we could harvest, it was attacked by flea beetles. The leaves were more or less destroyed and we were both really disappointed. We decided to leave the plants in the ground and keep watering them, hopeful for a fall crop.

Red Russian kale in the garden, just before it was harvested.

Well, it wasn't until fall that we saw a glimmer of life from the plants. They started sending up new leaves. They had survived, but there was no way that they could grow enough for a fall crop. So we left them to over-winter. What a success! These were the plants on Thursday, when Ken noticed they had started to bolt. So on Friday, he harvested, trimmed, and cooked them, and they're delicious. About five pint-containers went into the freezer.

17 comments:

  1. This is a test comment following Ken's instructions.

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  2. How beautiful...and great that they’re actually delicious, too.

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  3. You should have let them sprout.... the sprouts are almost the best bit!!
    Red Russian is a kale that is harvested like Black Tuscan.... pick individual leaves....
    wash and cook. With the sprouts, when they are around 4" to 6", break them off, steam and serve.

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    1. Or raw in a salad, including the flowers! Yum.
      Jocelyn

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    2. I've cooked the flower spikes and flowers before, but this time they were full of little black insects. As for cutting leaves, well, we needed to cut the plants down, because where they were growing was where we need to burn a pile of branches and other yard trimmings.

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  4. What a beautiful success story!

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  5. Kale is an excellent winter crop. It flourishes in the cold. Why not grow it every year for harvesting in March and forget it as a spring/summer plant? Roderick

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    1. That's what I've done, but I think it's better to plant it in spring, let it suffer through the summer, and then harvest it when it comes back and looks beautiful in autumn and winter. Cabbages like kale and collard greens are winter crops in North Carolina, where I grew up.

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  6. Stunning plants! Try Kale chips! I've made them once for a party and I was the only one who dared to eat them! They are washed, left to dry, sprinkled with olive oil and coarse sea salt that baked in the oven. I loved them and I need to make them again!

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  7. jean, glad it worked!

    thickethouse, yes!

    mitch, they're close to spinach in texture, very mild in taste.

    tim, perhaps we'll try that next time!

    judy, :)

    evelyn, patience, eh?

    roderick, probably a good idea.

    mary, I've heard of kale chips, but have not tried them. Yet!

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  8. I remember when I gardened trying to grow fancy greens; they were always good for supper invite.
    Yours don't come out bitter I trust?

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