Jefferson was enthusiastic about kale, so was Dr. Liang, and this is infectious; I am falling for it now

Kale 7/13/13

I wrote a post of “Kale and Taiwanese pumpkin: not an odd couple”,
http://doctorjytsai.blogspot.com/2013/08/kale-and-taiwanese-pumpkin-not-odd.html

I only vaguely mentioned Taiwanese pumpkin/squash toasted/baked in the oven, but there is more to it.   Janice and Joy stir-fried the kale leaves in extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar along with almond.  They skipped the mustard and shallots this time.

Janice said the kale we have is Tuscan or Lacinato kale.  Thomas Jefferson also had them in his garden.  Jefferson obviously had a variety of kales about which he had a magnificent obsession, especially about one called “sprout” kale.  He sang a high praise to numerous gardener friends, such as “the most valuable garden plant,” “the finest winter vegetable we have,” “a very delicate green,” “the most precious winter vegetable I know.”  He boasted to Barbour that “no body in the U.S. has [it] but those to whom I have given it.”

Jefferson sent kale seeds to every gardener friends that he could find.  We did the same thing exchanging seeds or seedlings among our gardener friends.  Jefferson was enthusiastic about kale, so was Dr. Liang, and this is infectious; I am falling for it now.

Kale and Da-To Tsai 7/3/13

Kale 6/30/13

Kale-Taiwanese pumpkin/squash 8/17/13