I love kale.  I think it’s because I never had kale growing up.  Ever.  I really love kale. I can eat it raw, sauteed, boiled, dehydrated, you name it.  However, a lot of people do not like kale. Which I guess is good for me.  Really good for me.  Kale is loaded with vitamins A, C and K.  It’s a great source of iron and calcium and omega 3.  Kale can be grown throughout the year and is super easy to grow in a pot.  We have a few different types growing in the greenhouse right now and it’s about as low maintenance as grass.  I eat so much kale that my daughter gets excited when she sees it.  Probably a result of the daily dose of boiled kale with butter, apple cider vinegar and hot sauce I ate when I was pregnant (I wanted to avoid the newborn vitamin K shot).  I like the flavor of kale; the crisp, bittery, freshness.  I love the velvety smoothness and the crinkly texture of the leaves.  To me, kale just looks and tastes like pure health. Kale is simple, earthy goodness and it should be prepared that way.  I found this recipe for Boiled Kale with a Fried Egg and Toast from an awesome blog named Orangette.  It is awesome, I really mean it, it’s delicious, I could eat it forever and it tastes just as good cold.

So, without further ado:

Boiled Kale with a Fried Egg and Toast

• One big bunch of kale
• 5 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• A pinch of red pepper flakes
• 4 large garlic cloves
• 4 cups of veggie broth
• 1 cup of water (optional)
• eggs
• bread, thickly sliced (I like to use whatever I have leftover)
• grated parmesan

Remove the tough stems form the kale by holding the end of the stem in one hand and grabbing the leaves in the other and pulling upwards.

Next, clean the kale by submerging the leaves in cold water then draining and spinning the leaves in a large salad spinner then tear the leaves into smaller pieces.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan.  Add the onions and cook until they are translucent.  Add the red pepper, garlic and kale and stir until the kale is wilted.  Add the veggie broth and water until the mixture is covered.  Bring to a simmer.

Cover the pan and simmer for about 30 minutes.  Add salt as needed.

Place a hunk, slice, chunk of bread/toast into the bottom of a soup bowl.  Next, fry the eggs in olive oil, one per bowl.  Add the kale to the bread with some broth and then top with the egg. Top with grated cheese.

Enjoy.