Kale is an awesome vegetable. It's hardy enough to go the distance in the late fall and early winter. With proper watering, it tolerated the hottest of our NJ summer.
It's also an extremely fast germinator. The picture shows my kale, which sprouted 3 days after planting.
Last year, when the spring lettuce ran out, kale was the green that carried up through the summer, until the next batch of lettuce grew. My small kids all loved it, and we even made a few batches of kale chips in our oven. We called our salads, "kalads."
The true value in kale comes from its' nutrition. Kale is very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, and rich in calcium. Kale is a source of two carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin. Kale, as with broccoli and other brassicas, contains sulforaphane (particularly when chopped or minced), a chemical with potent anti-cancer properties.
So, if you have not tried to garden with kale, it's good for you, tastes great and tolerates the extremes of weather. Do it up!
