Just when I was learning what it meant to have autonomy in my diet choices the national kale PR campaign was rampant. Kale wasn’t just a superfood, it was the hottest vegetable you could eat. As an impressionable early 20-something, I saw Gwyneth Paltrow’s style and sparkle as she made kale chips in front of a live audience. I absorbed the image of Beyonce in next to nothing but a sweatshirt embossed with ‘KALE’, and wished my legs could be so smooth!
But this campaign wasn’t just aimed at young women. In the 2010s we saw Dr. Oz endorse its health benefits alongside weight loss vitamins. Dan Barber, farm-to-table chef and author, was once called the King of Kale by Time Magazine for his work to put the vegetable on the map. Of course, Oprah loves kale! The list goes on. After an absurd amount of celebrity promotion, Bon Appétit magazine named 2012 the year of kale, and in 2013 we got a national holiday celebrating this unit of the brassica family.
When I look at this snapshot in my food story, I am dumbfounded by how much diet culture has seeped into my relationship with this very specific green. Suddenly it wasn’t enough to eat salad—I had to eat the best salad. This idea of kale as the thing we should eat is mirrored by grocery trends that see an increase in kale sales every January, steep rises in kale supplements, and kale-spiked baby food.
As a PNW farmhand and seasonal eater, I can tell you local kale is at its best right now. Our colder-than-average spring has extended the timeframe for tender (slightly sweet) harvests that are nothing like your typical bitter-bagged grocery kale.
To me, it isn’t just the flavor. It is about feeling connected to place, community and time. Yet this is not how most of us were taught to approach eating. There is more money in keeping our brains tied to the idea that personal desirability—and morality—are connected to our relationship with food.
This tape in our heads gets quieter when we begin to connect to and develop honest relationships with, what we eat. What does kale look like growing in the ground? Who grows and picks this for me?
Let me show you in this video I made in partnership with my friends Chris, Mia, and Quest at Small Acres Farm!
Tasty Saly Real is thrilled to be partnering with Small Acres Farm for the 2022 growing season. If you are local, please check out their online farm store and CSA availability.
Caesar Salad Dressing--
2-4 Cloves Garlic
1 Tbsp Lemon juice
½ Cup Mayonaise of choice
1 Tbsp Stone-ground mustard
Salt & Pepper
2-3 Full Anchovies OR 1 Tbsp Anchovy Paste
Vegan modification:
Replace fish with 1 Tbsp crushed nori and 1 tsp of miso paste.
Blend all until smooth. Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.