MARK ANDERSON ON THE VERSATILITY OF KALE

At this time of year my go-to ingredient is Irish kale, which is definitely having a moment in Ireland right now. As we know, the popular green is no longer being overcooked until it’s wet or only being used in Colcannon. Kale is a brilliant, super versatile winter vegetable. It comes in many different varieties with a huge range of flavour, colour and texture, from Redbor Kale and its distinctive maroon, curly leaves and mild cabbage-like flavour, to the purple-green leaves of the sweeter Red Russian Kale variety. Kale roasts deliciously, is great in gratins, soups and stews and makes the most irresistible crisps to nibble on or scatter over a salad.

My favourite way to use kale is to roast it. Kale takes on an entirely different quality when roasted and becomes crisp and crackly in some parts, tender in others. For the perfect snack I like to serve kale crisps with a drizzle of natural yoghurt or Velvet Cloud, which is my favourite Irish sheep’s milk yoghurt. Nice and creamy, but still sharp enough to cut through the flavour of the kale.

Kale is a great everyday vegetable that’s easily grown and very inexpensive and is one of Ireland’s most widely available and commonly grown crops. Not only is kale delicious when cooked properly, but this dark green leafy vegetable has been deemed a ‘superfood’ in recent years due to its nutritional value and is packed with antioxidants. And finally, it’s a great source of Vitamin C.

Mark Anderson is Culinary Director at Gather & Gather Ireland