Apple Cider braised kale with tomatoes

Alas, this was the very last of the tomatoes from my garden. The frost has nipped more than the pumpkin. I rushed out the other afternoon to get them before the bad weather really moved in, and they’ve been waiting patiently on the windowsill above my kitchen sink.

I had a kale pasta dish the other day at The Old Granite Street Eatery in downtown Reno, and it reminded me that I love and adore kale. I stopped at Whole Foods and picked up a bunch. If you haven’t tried kale, you’re missing something. It has the heft to stand up to long simmered soups without becoming a mushy, slippery mess like spinach can, and kale retains it’s gorgeous dark green color. I’ve had people tell me that kale is too peppery or bite-y. Not if you prepare it this way. The apple cider is the sweet element that my Swedish grandmother always prepared Kale with.

Additionally, besides tasting good, kale is a nutritional powerhouse.

For this you will need:

One half of a bunch of Lacinto or Red Russian Kale - preferably. Otherwise regular Curly Kale (save the other half to saute with pasta ala The Old Granite Street Eatery)

One half of a medium onion (cut into one inch pieces)

2 cloves of garlic, sliced

1 slice of fresh ginger, minced very finely

4- 5 medium tomatoes cut into chunks

1 cup (plus more if needed) apple cider - unfiltered and unpasteurized if you can get it

4-5 tablespoons olive oil for braising

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

salt to taste

Heat your heavy bottomed dutch oven or cast iron skillet, then add your cooking oil to coat, over medium high flame. Add the kale. Saute for a couple of minutes until the kale just begins to wilt, then add the onions, ginger and garlic, then the tomatoes. Saute another couple minutes.

Add the apple cider and seasonings. Put on a tight fitting lid and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes. Don’t let the apple cider liquid boil away. Add more if necessary. You will love that ‘pot liquor’.

Serve as a side dish, or over cooked brown rice or buckwheat for a vegan meal.

Serves 3 to 4 as a side dish.