Kale

This lovely picture is KALE and is my entry to Click hosted by Jugalbandhi.

'Click' is a theme-based monthly food photography event.

Q: Where did I click this picture?

A: In my apartment complex. My apartment lawns most of the time resemble a vegetable garden with herbs and lemon plants. Early this year I found this kale and I could not resist clicking it.

Q: What is kale?

A: Tender kale greens can provide an intense addition to salads, particularly when combined with other such strongly-flavored ingredients as dry-roasted peanuts, tamari-roasted almonds, or red pepper flakes.

Kale is considered to be a highly nutritious vegetable, with powerful antioxidant properties and is anti-inflammatory. Kale is very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, lutein and zeaxanthin and reasonably rich in calcium. Because of its high vitamin K content, patients taking anti-coagulants such as warfarin are encouraged to avoid this food since it increases the vitamin K concentration in the blood which is what the drugs are often attempting to lower. This effectively lowers the effective dose of the drug.

Many varieties of kale are referred to as "flowering kales" and are grown mainly for their ornamental leaves, which are brilliant white, red, pink, lavender, blue or violet in the interior or the rosette, (rosette - meaning - A cluster of leaves growing in crowded circles from a common center or crown). Most plants sold as "ornamental cabbage" are in fact kales. Ornamental kale is every bit as edible as any other variety, provided it has not been treated with pesticides or other harmful chemicals.

Click here to learn more about Kale.