Dinosaur Kale

Kale is the single best vegetable a person can eat. If a person could only eat one vegetable, it would be kale.

Kale is very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, zeaxanthin, and reasonably rich in calcium. Kale, as with broccoli and other brassicas, contains sulforaphane (particularly when chopped or minced), a chemical with potent anti-cancer properties. Along with other brassica vegetables, kale is also a source of indole-3-carbinol, a chemical which boosts DNA repair in cells and appears to block the growth of cancer cells. Kale is also a good source of carotenoids.

Kale, unfortunately, is bitter. Kale is best mixed with sweeter fruits like apples or pears and with sweet vegetables like carrots. That is, if we are talking about curly kale.

There are several varieties of kale. My coop has green curly kale (which makes the best kale chips), red kale, and a variety of kale that doesn’t look anything like kale.

Dinosaur kale has all of the benefits of curly kale with one important difference: It’s a bit sweeter.

Dinosaur kale is not sweet enough to drink on its own. But because it’s sweeter than curly kale, it pairs well with citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruit.

Here is one of my favorite juices:

Dinosaur Kale Grapefruit Juice

• 6-10 dinosaur kale leaves
• 2 grapefruits
• 1 pound of carrots

Depending on juicer: Yields anywhere between 24 and 30 ounces.