Cavolo Nero/Black Kale/Lacinato

[ErinB]

I had dinner at A.O.C. in LA, and they had a dish on their menu called "Cavolo Nero." The explained it as black kale that had been stewed for a long time, but I'm sure it had other spices. It was amazing.

Any thoughts on where I could find a recipe for something similiar to this or what cookbook?

[ludja]

Funny you should ask, just came across some recipes for kale that specifically mentioned a preference for using cavolo nero. It came up in the Zuni Cookbook (by Judy Rodgers) thread.

She has a recipe for boiled cavolo nero. The spicings are pretty simple: diced yellow onion, EVOO, red pepper flakes, garlic (opt). Then she has a few other simple recipes that use boiled kale--on garlic rubbed peasant bread toast, same with a fried or poached egg on top or a soup...

I've just started cooking out of this book. I really love the recipes included; you may want to check it out!

[MobyP]

The River Café books by Rogers and Grey have cavalo nero recipes - black cabbage, to be accurate.

You need to remove the leaf from the ribs, and blanch them for a minute or two - squeeze - then either sauté in some good oil and garlic, or use for ravioli filling with parmagiano, ricotta, etc.

[jackal10]

Cavolo Nero is a plant; a variety of kale in the cabbage family.

Fairly easy to grow, but yield is low (at least in my garden).

Cook it like kale, or use it as a spinach like component to stuff into things.

It was trendy a while ago. Personally I think it over-rated.

[Adam Balic]

Cavolo Nero is a plant; a variety of kale in the cabbage family.

Fairly easy to grow, but yield is low (at least in my garden).

Cook it like kale, or use it as a spinach like component to stuff into things.

It was trendy a while ago. Personally I think it over-rated.

It is very tough and is a corner stone winter green in Tuscany. I like it well enough, but only when others are cooking it.

[Jonathan Day]

All of these winter greens were popular a few years ago, in part I think because people had forgotten that bitter flavours can be delicious and refreshing, in small amounts and in the right setting. Then, thanks in part to the River Cafe, cavolo nero, purple sprouting broccoli, etc., all started to appear everywhere, sometimes twice or three times in a meal. I was once invited to a dinner where we had a rocket salad followed by a dish of pasta with sauteed cavolo nero. Too much.

I still enjoy these greens, though on a low-carb regime it is no longer possible to serve them with pastas. And once in awhile only, not every week!

[tissue]

I sautee them with bacon and I add some stock to soften.

[ErinB]

Thanks for the suggestions. I think the trick is that is was stewed for a long time. It tasted unlike any kale or spinach i've ever tasted.

Usually i just saute it for a short period of time. Most of the recipees I found for it online had it in soup with white beans.

We'll see how it actually turns out when I try to cook it.

[badthings]

for some reason it is marketed as "dinosaur kale" or, rarely, lacinato kale in the US.

I don't find the stuff from California bitter at all. It actually has a subtle sweetness.

edit: spelling

Edited February 3, 2004 by badthings (log)

[gariotin]

I have been reading about Lacinto (sp?) kale and it sounds and looks so beautiful.

Managed to snag some yesterday and I have some ideas about what I want to do with it, but it is pretty much my usual winter green prep: cut out the ribs, cut into strips, saute w/olive oil, sliced garlic and smoked paprika, salt & pepper.

I would welcome any other ideas - I read somewhere that you can toss w/olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in the oven. This sounds good if it softened the leaves, but also like it could completely dry out the leaves and make them crunchy - not appealing to me. Has anyone ever tried this?

[weinoo]

I find it much sweeter than regular kale. The Times ran a recipe for a kale salad recently, and I'm pretty sure Lupa serves it as a verdure - that is, sliced very thinly, dressed with salt, pepper, evoo, lemon juice and a couple of gratings of Pecorino Romano.

Also goes great in lots of soups.

[Margo]

There was an article on it in Saveur not long ago.

Recipe index, Saveur #106

Scroll down for the cavolo nero recipes.

[gariotin]

Thanks a million, Margo - I think that Saveur article was the one that piqued my curiosity. I am going to try the braised cavolo nero recipe. Also found a good one in Paula Wolfert's "Med grains and greens" for Lacinata kale w/white beans that sounds great.

I just never realized that Lacinata kale is the same thing as Cavolo Nero! D'oh!

In general, I just love all leafy winter greens - escarole, chard, kale, turnip greens - bring them on! While I am not a vegetarian, I am perfectly happy with a dinner involving these greens - maybe sauteed w/garlic and things like olives or artichokes, tossed with pasta, or in a soup. They are very full of flavor and satisfying.

[Katie Meadow]

There's a wonderful recipe in Batali's Molto Italiano for a hearty bean soup with cavolo nero or black kale. I've started to vary the recipe, using lentils, black beans, whatever I have. I have not seen anything labeled "Cavolo Nero" here in the East Bay, nor have I seen anything called "dinosaur," so I have been buying the large kale with the very frilly tightly curled leaves. Which kind is that? Will the real cavolo nero please stand up? Could someone post a picture?

Anyway the kale I am eating is not bitter at all. I find that adding it to any soup about 25 minutes to half an hour before the end works really well. I made a sort of chili with black beans, leftover smoked ham shank and tossed in a bunch of roughly chopped kale and it was great. I'm going to try some of the ideas above so it can star in its own movie.

[Renn]

Katie, here are a few pictures of it boosted from flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shikasta/4858486/

(the ones I saw this morning at the ferry building were much darker than the following, but it's the texture that gives it away)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shikasta/4858...in/photostream/

They should be all over the markets right now.

[monavano]

Farmers markets,organic markets and Whole Foods is where you'd be likely to find lacinato/black/cavalo nero/dinosaur kale. I like to braise it and use it in soups. I don't find it to be tender enough for a salad. YMMV

Braised lacinato kale with raisins and shallots

[Katie Meadow]

Thanks Renn. That is not the kale I have been buying. I haven't seen it at the Berkeley Farmers Market and my husband, who does the Bowl run, claims he's never seen a label for it there either, but now he will know what to look for. I'm not quite ready to take the ferry for this stuff--yet.

[mrbigjas]

there's a recipe for black kale that hasn't been mentioned yet in this thread, and that's bruschetta. recipe is here.

i'm telling you that this dish has absolutely no business being as ridiculously good as it is. it's just boiled kale on grilled bread after all. but i'm serious, it rocks the house like very few other vegetable dishes do. it's insanely satisfying.

p.s. you might be tempted to grate cheese on it, but taste it before you do. it's one of the few dishes that really isn't improved by cheese, as far as i can tell.

Edited January 20, 2008 by mrbigjas (log)

[gariotin]

I'm glad you posted the bruschetta recipe - there is a similarly simple one in the River Cafe Cookbook, and I paid no attention b/c it seemed so ....naked and unadorned.

Now I'll have to reconsider....

[llc45]

I find it much sweeter than regular kale.  The Times ran a recipe for a kale salad recently, and I'm pretty sure Lupa serves it as a verdure - that is, sliced very thinly, dressed with salt, pepper, evoo, lemon juice and a couple of gratings of Pecorino Romano.

Also goes great in lots of soups.

←

After loving this at Lupa, that's exactly how I make it whenever I can find it fresh at my local farmer's market. Another way I make it is I saute it with potatoes and onions and add chopped tomatoes to finish the cooking process, then finishing with a drizzle of olive oil and parmiggiano reggiano - yum!!!

[meredithla]

Suzanne Goin has a lot of recipes using cavolo nero in her cookbook, Sunday Suppers at Lucques. I have not been able to find black kale near me but I'm on the lookout.

[gariotin]

Merideth,

I got mine at Whole Foods in Massachusetts - you may be able to find some in NJ.

[deensiebat]

I find it much sweeter than regular kale.  The Times ran a recipe for a kale salad recently, and I'm pretty sure Lupa serves it as a verdure - that is, sliced very thinly, dressed with salt, pepper, evoo, lemon juice and a couple of gratings of Pecorino Romano.

Also goes great in lots of soups.

←

here's the nytimes recipe:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/24/dining/2...=rssnyt&emc=rss

it's become one of our regulars -- it's really nice and garlicky/lemony, like a healthy caesar salad. even better the second day.

[gariotin]

My perfect meal:

I read thru all the recipes and was inspired by the Paula Wolfert one I referred to earlier. I used that, and items on hand in my fridge, to come up with my idea of a perfect dinner. Confession: I LOVE Mediterranean/Middle Eastern flavors, so my concoction ended up being a Middle Eastern sort of burrito.

I cut out the spines and coarsely cut the lacinato into 3 in sections. Sauteed in good olive oil till beginning to wilt, stirred in about 4 fat cloves of sliced garlic, and a splash of beef broth (hey...that's what I had in the fridge...). Turned the heat down, covered and cooked. Every few mins, I would take off the lid, stir, and add a little more broth as needed. While that was going on, I fried up a couple slices of Halloumi (cleaning out the fridge...). After about 10 mins, I stirred in a can of cannellini beans and a handful of chopped kalamatas. Heated it all up and then finished w/salt, pepper, and a drizzle of good oil.

Took a piece of lavash, spread w/thin layer of hummus (thinking of the saucey, moist component), laid a couple thin layers of salami on top (this came from Ms. Wolfert, who suggested serving this dish as a side w/good salumi or cold cuts), then a piece of halloumi, then the lacinato/bean/garlic/olive mixture on top. Rolled it up and man...as I was eating, I was thinking that this was a 4 star quick dinner!

Good news...there's more for tomorrow...sometimes it pays to live alone!

[roryrabbitfield]

For those in NYC, you can get Lacinato Kale from Fresh Direct (www.freshdirect.com).

Make sure you cook it long enough...it is much tougher than regular kale.