Italian Kale With Tahini

In my opinion Kale is an underrated crop. It's really easy to grow, doesn't suffer as much from the usual brassica problems, is very good for you and tastes delicious. I suppose it is tougher than cabbage but has a texture and flavour all it's own. There are many varieties available now and my favourites have to be 'Nero Di Toscana' or Italian Kale and 'Red Russian'. Both are difficult to get in the shops so are ones you need to grow yourself. I found this recipe online, it's great, one of those weird ones where the end flavour is ten times greater than the sum of it's parts. Anyway, here we go:

Ingredients: 1 pound kale, well rinsed 2 Tbsp olive oil 1 cup chopped onion 1 clove garlic, minced Salt 4 Tbsp tahini (use tahini made with toasted sesame seeds, not raw) 2 Tbsp lemon juice 3-4 Tbsp water 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds for garnish

You'll need a wide pan with sides and a lid. If you don't have a sautee pan a wok will be fine if you can fit a lid on it. Coat the pan with a little olive oil and place on a medium heat. When it's hot add the chopped onion, cook for a couple of minutes and then add the garlic, cook a little more. Add your Kale with a sprinkle of salt, toss the Kale to make sure it's evenly coated with the oil, lower the heat and stick the lid on.

While the Kale is cooking you can whisk the lemon juice, water, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and dark sesame oil.

Give the Kale another toss after 5 mins, it should be wilted but still contain enough liquid so it's not frying in the pan. Add a little water if you have to. Cover and cook for another couple of minutes until the kale is a very dark green and has a good chewy texture. Turn off the heat and add the tahini sauce, just enough to coat the Kale. Sprinkle with a handful of toasted sesame seeds to finish. Serve hot, you're not going to believe how good this one tastes!