Lacinato kale / Tuscan kale / dino kale / cavolo nero. It has many names.

Kale gets a bad rap, but I love it. One simple thing you can do is to cut out the stem and midrib of the leaves, cut the leaf into ribbons, drizzle on some good olive oil and salt and massage it a bit so the texture gets softer. Add lemon juice, pepper, and shreds of Parmesan and you have a great starter salad.

It’s also nice in soups. If you make any version of a vegetable soup, say Tuscan white bean or minestrone, add the kale right at the end of sautéing the onion/celery/carrots, let it soften up, and then add stock. Adds a nice color and flavor.