Red Kale Sauteed with Red Skinned Potatoes

Greens have become an important part of my family's diet and I try to include them in as many dishes as possible to take advantage of their health benefits. Green kale, collard greens, turnip greens, rapini and swiss chard are the standard varieties I like to make. The typical way I prepare them is to saute the cleaned and chopped greens in some olive oil with a generous amount of garlic and a light sprinkle of salt. Easy, simple, delicious. If I have some leftover baked or boiled potatoes on hand, I will throw those in as well, making sure the potatoes get a crisp edge on them and become a nice golden brown. This is the way my mother used to prepare her greens and is my favorite way of serving them. It pairs well with fish or any broiled, sauteed, or grilled meat.

In an effort to add a little variety I came across some red kale the other day in the grocery store. Figuring it probably tasted just like the green stuff I decided to prepare in the same way. This time with red skinned potatoes to complement the red color of the kale. Sauteed with some garlic and shallots and then finished with just the tiniest drizzle of balsamic vinegar this made a delicious side for my grilled tuna dinner. Surprisingly, the red kale has its own distinct flavor. Not altogether that much different but considerably less bitter, in fact, sweet, and much more tender than its green counterpart. Quite delicious and a veggie option I will consider more frequently.

Red Kale Sauteed with Red Skinned Potatoes

1 bunch red kale, thickest spines removed & coarsely chopped

4-5 small red skinned potatoes, quartered

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 shallot, chopped

2 T. olive oil

Salt & pepper

Light drizzle balsamic vinegar

Place potatoes in a saute pan with a small amount of water. Bring to a boil, cover and cook 10 minutes or less till potatoes are fork tender, not too soft. Remove from pan and set aside. Clean saute pan and dry thoroughly.  Heat pan and add 2 T. olive oil. Saute cooked potatoes on medium high till golden brown. Add shallots and garlic and cook till shallots just begin to softened being careful not to burn the garlic.  Add the chopped kale, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Add 2-3 T. water. Combine all ingredients, cover, keeping temperature around medium high and steam the kale till spines have become tender and most of the water has cooked down. Remove lid, drizzle with a very small amount of the balsamic vinegar, stir together and serve. As a side dish, enough for 2-3 people.