Kale is hailed as one of the great superfoods, but despite its healthy greatness, sometimes it can be a bit difficult to like. Or at least it was for me until I learned how to prepare it in a way that appealed to my taste buds.

My acceptance of kale started with green smoothies. I started with spinach as my greens of choice but knew I needed a bit more variety. So I started replacing the spinach with kale. Much to my surprise I found the kale to have a much cleaner taste than the spinach. This was the extent of my kale usage. Then I started shopping at the farmers markets where I was introduced to many varieties of kale. This is also around the time that I learned that you don’t have to eat the tough ribs! Lacinato (aka dinosaur aka tuscan) kale quickly became my favorite when I experimented with it in my breakfast scrambles. Now a bundle of kale is purchased every week.

My favorite way to prepare kale is to simply sautee it with garlic… or preferably green garlic. Green garlic? Yes, green garlic.

Green garlic is young/immature garlic that has been pulled from the ground early in order to thin out the garlic crops. The result is a tender bulb with a very soft distinct garlic taste. It’s so tender that you can chop up the whole bulb with no concerns of it being too strong. It pairs perfectly with kale.

Sautéing greens with garlic comes together pretty quick. The garlic gets tossed into a pan with a little olive oil.

Then just before the garlic starts turning golden (I let these cook a little too long and the garlic got a little bitter) add your kale and toss well. You want to make sure all the leaves get coated with olive oil. A few minutes later it is read for eating.

You can eat it just like this, right out of the pan. I like mine seasoned with a little kosher salt and if I’m looking for some spice I like to add a bit of chipotle powder. It also works well with quinoa or eggs in any form. But one of my absolute favorite ways to enjoy sautéed kale and green garlic is piled on top of a piece of socca. Real food, real good.

Sauteed Kale & Green Garlic

Recipe by: Elisabeth Norris

• 2 oz of kale (I prefer lacinato)
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 bulb of green garlic, finely chopped (or 5 cloves garlic)
• Kosher salt to taste

Wash and remove stems from the kale. Rough chop into 1/2 inch pieces.

In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. When hot, toss in the green garlic and saute for 2 minutes stirring often.

Just before the garlic starts to get golden edges, if needed add the last tablespoon of olive oil and the kale. Toss well to coat the kale with the olive oil. Sautee for 3-5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and season to taste with the kosher salt.

Serves 1 hearty portion or 2 smaller portions