The seasonal veggie in the lasagna recipe posted yesterday is kale. Here’s a Closer Look at this veggie you may never have used.

What is it?
Kale is a leafy green grown in cooler temperatures, which make it abundant and affordable in most grocery stores during winter months. A cabbage relative, kale is easily identified by its very ruffled leaves. The younger leaves can be chopped into salads and eaten raw. But more commonly, kale is taken off the stalks, chopped, and cooked (sauteed, roasted, fried, grilled, steamed).

What’s in it?
Kale is a nutritionally loaded veggie that’s rich in vitamins A and C, calcium, vitamin K, folic acid, magnesium, and protein. Its a great source of calcium for those of us who don’t eat dairy products. It can be used in place of cooked spinach in most recipes.

How to get picky eaters to try it?
So whether its kids or a picky spouse you need to convince to try it, start with a recipe that uses kale but is familiar. I suggest to start with the recipe posted yesterday for the Sausage and Kale Lasagna. Lasagna is something that most people like and are familiar with. Try making the recipe and not even mentioning that there is kale in it. There are so many other flavors in the recipe (from the sausage, tomatoes, and cheese), your picky eater may not even care about the green stuff in there.

Hope you’ll try kale and love it. Who knows, it could become a green you love and use time and time again!