First, The Cook says it has to be cut young, as in around 7-8" inches high. This is not the way kale is usually found at the grocery store, which is another reason to grow one's own.

I had some beautiful red Russian kale and it was time to harvest it.



Here's the way The Cook prepared it:

Sausage and Kale with Strozzapreti Pasta



4-5 links fresh sweet pork sausage
1/2 cup red pepper slivers
˝ cup onion, finely chopped
Garlic to taste
1 package strozzapreti (a cut of pasta)
3-4 cups washed kale, stems cut
Olive oil

Punch small holes all the way round in the sausage
with the point of a knife.

Saute the onion, peppers, and sausages in a small
amount of olive oil. Drain the fat from the pan which came from the
sausages. Lightly press the oil from the peppers and onions with
a paper towel. Return the onions, peppers, and
sausages.

In another saucepan, sauté garlic with a small amount
of olive oil. Add kale. Make sure the kale is tossed
so it is covered with the oil. Add water and cover
with a saucepan lid. Finish cooking in the steam.
Important: Watch the color of the kale. Don't let it turn brown.

Cook the pasta. Add it to the sausage and onion
mixture. Mix in the kale/garlic mixture and serve.

Red Russian Kale is also known as "Ragged Jack." It has a sweet, tender, mild flavor. It is very pretty, with its frilly edges, red veins, and blue-green color. Grows in 50-60 days and does very well in the cold. This is a leafy green that could easily be grown in the flower garden as both an accent and for harvest.