Kale

Kale was originally grown largely to see cows and sheep through the winter. Given half a chance our cows will eat radicchio, asparagus and grapefruit too – to me they occasionally seem more discerning in their tastes than many human beings.

Like cabbages, kales are members of the brassica family; virtually anywhere in the world, from the tropics to the Arctic circle, you will find varieties that have been bred to suit local conditions and culinary traditions. Their unifying trait is an open growth habit allowing us to pick older leaves over a long season while leaving the central meristem to keep generating new leaves. As with most vegetables, the dark green leaves are richest in nutrition, and, as kale does not have a centre that has been deprived of light, it is among the best sources of vitamins and minerals.