Kale is a very he althy vegetable , valued for its anti-cancer properties and slimming. Properly prepared, it can also be tasty. Although it has been somewhat forgotten in recent decades, nowkale has become a popular ingredient in a he althy diet.And the he althiest one is surely the one grown in your own garden. Get to knowhe alth properties of kale , see how easy it isgrowing kale on the plotand choose something for yourself from the bestrecipes for dishes from kale
Kale from own cultivation on the plot
Fig. pixabay.com
Why is it worth growing and eating kale?
Kale can be recommended to every gardenerwho is looking for vegetables that are easy to grow, and at the same time tasty and very he althy. As a vegetable resistant to low temperatures,kale copes well in our climateIt can be harvested in autumn and winter, thanks to whichsupplements our diet in a period when fresh greens are hard to come byAs kale is planted at the end of spring and early summer, it is a great vegetable for planting after springtime spring vegetables.
Compared to other cruciferous vegetables,kale has low soil requirementsand is not very susceptible to pests attacking cruciferous vegetables. All this makesworth growing kale on the plot .
Kale - he alth properties
Thehe alth properties of kaleare more and more appreciated, as it is low in calories and is a real component of valuable nutrients. This vegetable is used not only in the diet of people who are slimming but also more and more often in the diet of athletes and in anti-cancer prevention.
Kale leaves are characterized by a high content of vitamin K(responsible for for blood clotting and wound healing), vitamin C (already 100g of kale covers the human daily requirement for vitamin C), as well as vitamins B, E, phosphorus, iron and carotenoids (beta-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin).Kale is also a great source of fibersupporting the digestive system and is characterized by a high protein and calcium content (100 g of kale contains more calcium than 100 ml of milk).
First of all howeverkale contains a lot of sulforaphaneIt is an antioxidant that has a strong anti-cancer effect.A diet rich in kale can prevent the development of cancerssuch as stomach, colon, prostate, bladder, and breast cancer.
Kale leaves ready to prepare food
Fig. freeimages.com
Kale - cultivation on the plot
The vegetation period of kale , counted from planting seedlings to harvesting green leaves, is from 100 to 130 days, which is simply about 4 months. Thanks to its high frost resistance,kale can be harvested in winter(anyway, its leaves taste best when cut by the first autumn frosts). This makes it an excellent aftercrop vegetable after early spring spring vegetables. In this case,kale seeds are sown in the seedbed from April and May, and the beds are planted infrom June to July (kale seedling production takes about 5 weeks). Butkale can also be grown by sowing directly into the flower beds
Kale grows best in sunny places , although it also tolerates light partial shade.The soil for kale cultivation should be well tilled, moderately moist and fertile(kale is one of the vegetables with medium nutritional requirements), with a pH of 6.0 - 6.8.
Kale beds should be properly prepared , spreading about 50 kg of compost for every 10m² of beds and digging deeply. You can also use multi-component mineral fertilizers, e.g. Azofoska in the amount of about 1 kg per 10m² of beds.
Good to know!
It is good to grow kale together with other vegetables or by planting it on the edge of flower beds, where it works as a low edged hedge. Vegetables such as beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, lettuce grow well in the vicinity of kale.
Kale is planted in the beds, spacedevery 40-60 cm x 40-60 cm (depending on the height of the variety). Weed removal, pest control (ground fleas, aphids or cabbage beetle may occur) and watering during dry periods are essential during growth.
Kale harvesting usually begins in November , only after the first frost, because after freezing, the leaves lose unpleasant bitterness (it is worth putting in the freezer when harvested earlier).Leaves are collected many times, starting with the oldest. Weather permitting,kale harvesting may continue until spring
It is best to collect only as many leaves as you want to use at one time.Fresh kale leaves retain the most valuable nutrients . It is best to eat them raw as heat treatment deprives them of some of their he alth properties.
We will prepare nutritious cocktails and he althy fruit and vegetable smoothies from the kale
Fig. depositphotos.com
Kale - recipes
Therecipes for a nutritious kale cocktailwith the addition of various fruits, amazingcrunchy kale chipsand a variety of salads and salads are very popular. Here are the most popular and very easy to preparekale recipes!
1. Kale cocktail
Kale smoothies are made with milk, yoghurt or kefir, with apples, bananas, kiwi and limes.
Kale, banana and apple smoothie
Ingredients:2-3 kale leaves, an apple, a banana, a glass of milk
Preparation:Wash the kale leaves, separate the soft parts from the hard stalks and toss them into a blender. Add the chopped banana and the apple (without the core). Mix everything and serve it chilled.
This recipe can be modifieddepending on your preferences. To break the taste, the juice of half a lemon or a lime is often added. Milk can be replaced with orange juice. Honey can be used to sweeten it. Some people use drinking yogurt or kefir instead of milk.
2. Kale vegetable and fruit smoothie
Ingredients:3 kale leaves or 1/3 pack of kale (about 70 g), 2 whole apples, a glass of apple juice, 1 banana, about 1 cm piece of ginger root
Preparation:Wash vegetables and fruits. Peel the apples and cut out the core. Place all ingredients in the blender container, add apple juice and mix. Serve slightly chilled.
If the taste of the above kale smoothie is bored with us , we can use slightly different ingredients: 3 kale leaves, 1 banana, 1 kiwi, half a glass of apple juice or grape juice, half a glass of coconut milk, juice squeezed from half a lime or a lemon. We mix in the same way as above.
3. He althy Kale Chips
Ingredients:a few fresh kale leaves or half a packet (100g) of kale, s alt, 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
Preparation:Wash the kale and separate the soft parts of the leaves from the hard stems (use only the soft parts to prepare the chips). We put them in a bowl, pour olive oil, s alt and mix thoroughly. Preheat the oven to 180 ° C, place the kale leaves loosely on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and bake for about 10 minutes. A signal that the chips are ready is a slight browning of the edges of the kale leaves (depending on the oven, baking time may vary).You have to be careful not to burn the leaves. They will be crispy when properly baked.
Also the ikale chips have several variations of . Depending on your preferences, you can add a teaspoon of mild curry, ground sweet pepper or cinnamon to the above ingredients, as well as sunflower or pumpkin seeds.
4. Kale and Chinese cabbage salad
Ingredients:4 kale leaves, half a head of Chinese cabbage, onion, tomato, fresh cucumber, vinaigrette sauce.
Preparation:Separate the thickened petioles from the kale leaves, leaving only the soft parts, which are then cut. We add chopped cabbage, onion, diced tomato and cucumber to them. Mix it all together, adding the vinaigrette.
These are of course onlysome of the simplest kale recipes . I encourage you to continue searching on the Internet and enjoy the taste of this extremely he althy vegetable!
