Kale

By Kathleen Bauer

February 21, 2008

The pickup: When I think of a meal, I tend to think “meat, vegetable, starch.” And the vegetables that come immediately to mind are the usual suspects: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, peas, and beans.

But because I’ve been trying to buy more local and seasonal produce, and we have two winter farmers’ markets in our area with an abundance of gorgeous greens, the thick green leaves of kale have shouldered their way into my repertoire.

A member of the cabbage family, kale is very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin A, and vitamin C. Nutritious, easy to grow, and resistant to most pests, kale is a hardy plant that will keep producing new leaves far into the winter. (Kale grows year-round, but tastes best in winter after frosts have encouraged the leaves to produce more sugars.)

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Persimmons

By Kathleen Bauer

November 29, 2007

The pickup: I have a friend with a persimmon problem. It started when she moved into her house and, in the autumn, noticed that there were little fruits on the tree in her back yard. By October those little fruits had become bright orange persimmons and started falling off the tree onto the grass, to be gobbled up by her two dogs.

The results: Fortunately the fruit doesn’t seem to upset canine tummies, and since my friend isn’t fond of persimmons (she calls them “nasty”), she usually gives away any fruit that remains. And it’s fortunate for me that they’re Fuyu persimmons, the flat round kind I love to eat in any form. With fleshy, soft, seedless fruit and mild flavor, they’re ideal for slicing into wedges and eating skin and all.

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