Kale the king of leafy vegetables, the superfood of tomorrow

Kale- The King of leafy vegetables, the super food of tomorrow!

Kale is called as " king of leafy vegetables" "queen of greens", and "a nutritional powerhouse"

Kerala is going to be diabetes capital of the world due to lack of nutrients in the food we eat. We eat more food rich in starch and trans-fats, less in nutrients required for the body. We are overfed, but under nourished. Kale can do a lot in controlling and preventing diabetes, cancer and frequent illness.

This blog is made for the public on public’s demand. I am getting a lot of queries on Kale : how to grow and how to use kale?  So I thought it is better to make a blog and upload it.

Why Kale?

Our mission is to educate people on healthy living, to save people from illness: losing vision, diabetes, asthmatic problems, cardiac problems, stress and cancer, caused by deficiencies of nutrients in the food. Currently our life is controlled by market economies and corporates, where reality is far away. We can live more happily if we aim for a  sustainable living.

Kale is the easy-to-grow super food. Kale can be grown easily, organically, anywhere in the world. It has got a lot nutrients, which is easily absorbed by the body. Our body cannot absorb full nutrients of certain leafy vegetables like spinach. They are called 'selfish'. But Kale is different . Kale is the 'Mother Teresa' among the leafy vegetables. Mother Terasa did not keep anything for her. She has given everything for others. Our body can absorb full nutrients of Kale.  

Kale is nutritious, anti-cancerous, delays,prevents diabetes and cataract.

Kale leaf - ready to eat

 It contains lutein, which improves vision, delays cataract especially among people after the age of 50. It contains many other nutrients such as beta carotene, that promotes healthy cell, Quercetin, that inhibits bad cholesterol (LDL), Kaempferol, that prevents cancer, Sulforaphane and indole-3 carbinol that repair cells and block growth of cancer,  Vitamin K, C, zeaxanthin and calcium which are easily absorbed by the body.

Kale contains  maximum lutein body can absorb among all leafy vegetables followed by Spinach, Swiss chard, collard greens, peas etc. Kale is known as the KING of all leafy vegetables due to its nutrient content. Eat Kale, protect your eyes and body.

It is the future food, easy to grow, survives in winter in cold countries like US and Canada, and summer in hot countries like India , contains so many nutrients that will be absorbed by body. It attracts bees to its flowers in spring that will help pollination of other fruit trees like apple, pears, plum, currents, and berries. If there is no pollination you won’t get fruits.

A friend of mine, Canadian lady was almost blind. She started eating kale as per the doctor’s order to add leafy vegetable in daily diet. She improved her eyesight within nine months. Her story inspired me to start growing Kale. Another occasion I met a lady in garden shop, who survived cancer, and was searching for cheap kale leaves (super market charges $2.50 for 5 leaves) and wants to know how to grow kale at backyard. I was giving free supply of leaves till she setup her own garden. Two years I have done some research. I have visited the Native Indians garden in San Diego U.S.A. I have seen Kale there.  From farmers to nutrition experts, Native Americans to Europeans, North Americans to South Americans, magazines like 'Readers Digest', 'Nutrition action' all hail kale as super food. Now I am inspiring others to grow. It is a super food, used for centuries by Europeans, North Americans, South Americans and Native Indians in US, but mostly unknown to Asians.

Where do you get Kale?

5 year old Kale in Kerala. started in 2008



Kale flower-edible too

Kale flower -  Edible - use flower as leaf. You can eat it

A 5 year old kale ( started 2008) in KS Abraham's terrace, Kurathicadu,
Mavelikara, Kerala, gives full year leaves.



You can get fresh Kale green leaves from the super market. Moreover canned kale –(see the sites below) exported from Germany and Holland- are also available in supermarkets. Germany exports not only BMW, Audi and Mercedes Benz, but also the super food Kale too.

 How to grow?

 The seeds are like mustard seeds. Grow in pots or ground.  Pick the leaves as it grows. After one year it flowers, but not in India. When the beans are matured, dry them and collect seeds.


How to propagate in India
In India our three year research  and experience shows it won't get flowers. One plant is surviving for the last four years, and is healthy too. It is found that best way to propagate is by cutting branches and plant it on the ground. It is taking so long to flower and get seeds.



Kale- in Munnar, Kerala in 2010
George Joseph's ,Thopan gardens, Kanthalloor.
We are encouraging people to be healthy. We serve that way.

 

Where does it grow?
There are mainly three types of Kale: Red Russian, Tuscan, and curly  green Kale. It grows anywhere on the planet earth. It is grown in  Europe, North America, Canada, South America. Recently we encouraged to grow this in Kerala, India,  like Kattanam and Kurathicadu, in Alleppey,  Trivandrum, Trichur, Kanthalloor in Munnar,  Idukki.  It grows well in Asia. Look at the picture left.

We were giving free seeds before. Now plants are available in Anju mathews farm in  Kattappana,  Idukki Dist, Kerala

Plants are available in Anju Mathews farm.

Please try online. This people are selling red Kale seed.

http://www.greenmylife.in/


Best way to eat
The best way to eat is fresh in salad. When you boil or bake it loses its nutrients as per the nutritionist.  For the kale recipe, goggle Kale  or search at the sites shown at the bottom of this page.

Kale seeds-like mustard-click to enlarge

For Further Reading. Click the URL for You tube videos

Karshakan face book URL

https://www.facebook.com/groups/603613809690378/

How to make potting soil- micro gardener

http://themicrogardener.com/easy-diy-potting-mix-recipe/

How to make potting soil for container gardening

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djY37c-juRk


How to make DIY potting mix

http://themicrogardener.com/easy-diy-potting-mix-recipe


Grow Kale in containers.

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Grow+Kale+and+Collards+in+Containers&Form=VQFRVP&view=detail&mid=2F1D923191340BC4B1692F1D923191340BC4B169

How to grow veg in pots.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXJNWdn78so

Container gardening

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zn6IWlvMuJE

Delicious recipes you can make with kale.

1.       Add one or two leaves to soup to enrich with nutrients.

2.       Make Kale chips. (Note: half of certain vitamins will be lost while cooking.  Eat fresh as much as possible.)

3.       Add to muffins- Kale muffins.

4.       Add one or two leaves to vegetable curries.

5.       Prepare delicious Kale salad. Fantastic, delicious, highly nutritious and organic.

6.       Make vegetable Thoran ( a south Indian recipe with coconut, turmeric, cumin seed, onion  and chilly)

7.       Make Kale chutney- Add few leaves to your coconut chutney like coriander leaf chutney.

8.       Add  one or two leaves to your fruit juice to enrich with nutrients. Non citric may be good.

9.       Add one or two leaves to smoothies- frozen blueberries, banana or apple, strawberries, Kale

10.    Add one or two leaves in your morning cereals

12.    Sandwich. Replace lettuce with Kale. It is more nutritious, organic and pesticide free.

Kale Salad

Ingredients

1. 5 to 7 leaves of Kale
2. 5 tablespoon nut or nuts)
1. 2 table spoons of peanuts
2. 2 table spoons of pumpkin seeds
3. 1 table spoon of sunflower seeds
3. ½ teaspoon of mustard seeds ( grind it before putting in blender)
4. 1 table spoon of raisins
5. 1 Medium sized tomato
6. ¼ red Onion
7. 2 Table spoons of Cooking oil-(Coconut, corn, sesame, Sunflower etc). Preferably Olive oil
8. 2 Table spoons of vinegar  (Preferably apple vinegar)
9. Salt to taste

Preparation

1. Cut kale leaves in to small pieces.
2. Blend all the ingredients from 2 to 6 in a food processor to make the dressing.
3. Add the leaves and the dressing into a large bowl.  Add olive oil, vinegar and salt to the bowl and mix well.  
4. Peanuts and pumpkin seeds can be substituted with other nuts like cashews, sunflower seeds, walnuts or almonds.
5. Enjoy the nutritious Kale and say “Good bye” to frequent illness.

If you are in India, if all the above nuts are not available use roasted peanuts in place of other nuts .

52 recipes from kale.  Please click the following
http://www.dailybitesblog.com/2012/02/27/52-ways-to-eat-kale/

Related sites:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lutein
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kale

http://www.cspinet.org/nah/10foods_bad.html

Canned kale  sites

http://www.germancart.com/german-foods/kuehne/kuehne-gruenkohl-oldenburger-art-kale-660g.html

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=378960578833190
http://www.germandeli.com/lipgreenkalg.html







Kale- in Munnar, Kerala
George Joseph's ,Thopan gardens, Kanthalloor.
We are encouraging people to be healthy. We serve that way.








Trivandrum, Mr Pathrose's terrace garden,  Aswathy garden