Kristen Beddard’s recently released memoir, “Bonjour Kale,” is about an American expat’s journey to bring kale, a forgotten vegetable or légume oublié, back to France.

A Parisian expat myself, I am both familiar with Beddard’s Kale Project and an avid reader of this sort of expat memoir. I was keen to discover this book and see if it stood out amongst the myriad other titles in the genre.

There are several differences between this book and other books in the expat-in-France category: firstly, Beddard is not a dreamer, caught up in a France that doesn’t or no longer exists, but rather rowing — somewhat against her will — through the stream of bureaucracy that is life in modern-day Paris. This element of the book makes it far more relatable to many readers and explores the downsides (and yes, there are downsides) to ending up in the City of Light. This element of the memoir goes against the grain of the more traditional “the French can do no wrong” mentality in the genre; it’s utterly refreshing, and Beddard expertly walks the line between moments of exasperation, confusion, and sadness, and the surprisingly lovely discoveries she makes about her accidental home.

The second difference  between this book and other expat memoirs was the driving force of Beddard’s passion for a project that seemed a little odd to some and utterly surreal to others. The Kale Project is at the heart and soul of this book, which expands and expounds upon the blog that Beddard started at the very beginning of her adventure introducing kale to France. This passion sets Beddard apart from other writers in the genre, not only for its novelty but also for the sense of purpose that it lends to the book.

Beddard’s journey to bring kale to France, a country with 350 cheeses but, until recently, a rather lackluster regard for vegetables, proves itself to be one that must overcome many obstacles. Beddard details her discovery of kale as a child and her surprise, as an adult, at learning that not everyone was as familiar with the vegetable as she, the daughter of a macrobiotic pioneer. Her surprise is clear when she realizes that France has not developed the same love of the vegetable as New York, and her navigation, not only of the language of her new country, but of its culture, is perfectly illustrated in her dealings with the various individuals who stand in her way, including but not limited to people who refuse to believe that the Americans have anything to teach the French about food.

What surfaces from this true struggle is a standout book in a genre that has been done to death: kale is both Beddard’s clear passion and a unique tool for telling what has become a somewhat rehashed story of love and culture-shock. Beddard’s story explores not only what Americans can learn from the French, but what the French can — and do — learn from Americans (and that includes a killer recipe for kale chips). Beddard tells her own moving-to-France story with such passion, wit, and attention to detail that it feels brand-new.

The delicious, veggie-heavy recipes — each of which is linked to a chapter and frequently pulled straight from a Parisian kitchen or from Beddard’s own trove of dishes — are a great reason to keep this book within easy reach of your kitchen.

The author of this article was offered a free advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Related on EcoSalon
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Image by Jessie Kanelos-Weiner, The Francofly

The post ‘Bonjour Kale’: Teaching the French How to Cook Kale appeared first on EcoSalon.

In this kale pesto recipe, the basil typically used  in pesto is replaced  with the earthy kale, which gives the sauce a bolder, slightly spicy flavor. This condiment is delicious mixed with scrambled eggs, spread on a sandwich or pizza, whisked into salad dressing, or spooned over grilled fish.

Kale Pesto Recipe

Makes one cup

Ingredients

Garlic, 2 cloves
Parmesan or pecorino cheese,1⁄2  cup (2oz/60g), grated
Kale leaves,  2 cups  (2 oz/60 g), packed
Pine nuts, 1⁄4  cup ( 1 1⁄4  oz/35 g), toasted
Extra-virgin olive oil, 1⁄2  cup (4 floz/125ml)
Salt, 1⁄4  teaspoon
 Freshly ground  pepper, 1⁄8  teaspoon

Directions

With a food processor running, drop the garlic cloves through the feed tube. Turn off the processor,  add the cheese and pine nuts, and pulse briefly. Add the kale, turn  on the processor again, and pour  the oil through the feed tube in a thin, steady stream, processing until  a moderately thick paste forms. As you work, stop the processor occasionally  and scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Transfer the pesto to a bowl, stir in the salt and pepper, and then taste the pesto. Add more cheese, salt, and/or pepper if needed to balance  the flavors. Use the pesto right away, or top with a thin layer of oil (to prevent  discoloration), cover, and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Bring the pesto to room temperature and stir well before using.

Reprinted with permission from “Better From Scratch“. Photography by Alice Gao. Copyright 2014 by Weldon Owen Inc. and Williams-Sonoma, Inc.

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The post Kale Pesto Recipe appeared first on EcoSalon.

Swiss chard and kale recipes galore, plus a bunch of other leafy greens you never thought of.

If you want to be eating all your vitamins and minerals, leafy greens should be your go-to ingredient. The darker and greener the better.

In fact, a study published in the British Medical Journal in 2010 showed that eating more green leafy vegetables may reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes by 14 percent.

But there’s more to the leafy green world than kale recipes. Here are 21 uses for leafy greens to be sure you’re power packing your breakfast, lunch and dinner.

1. Dandelion Greens and Pepper Omelette

Greens for breakfast, and not just any greens, but ones from dandelions.

2. Kale Breakfast Pizza

Kale and pizza for breakfast. Rejoice.

3. Grilled Romaine Salad

Romaine salad: boring. Grilled romaine salad: exciting.

4. Roasted Carrots with Mustard Greens Gremolata

The peppery bite of mustard greens pairs well with the sweet flavor of roasted carrots.

5. Garlicky Winter Greens and Chickpea Salad

This recipe is good for any type of greens that you have on hand; kale, collard, mustard greens or even beet greens.

6. No-Rice Risotto with Chard

Instead of rice, hearty cannellini beans partner up with chard in this hearty dish.

7. Stuffed Kale with Bulgur Rice and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Use kale as a wrap for other nutritious ingredients.

8. Beet Green Pesto

Don’t throw those greens out after you’ve chopped them off of your beets, turn them into pesto.

9. Broccoli Pizza Crust

Yes, you can use this cruciferous vegetable to make pizza crust.

10. Red Pepper Rabini, White Beans and Grits

Rapini, also known as broccoli rabe, takes center stage in this quick and easy one bowl meal (that you can top with an fried egg if you feel like it).

11. Roasted Sweet Potato, Quinoa and Watercress Warm Salad

Don’t scoff at watercress. It’s not just for sandwiches at high tea, it’s also a good ingredient for healthy salads.

12. Comte, Olive and Arugula Grilled Cheese

This, my friends, is not your average grilled cheese.

13. Fried Beans with Sorrel, Feta and Sumac

With spring comes sorrel, and in this recipe it turns into a comforting bowl of goodness.

14. Asian Carrot Collard Wraps

You don’t need rice paper to make wraps. No, collard greens will do just fine.

15. Pickled Swiss Chard Stems

Chard stems often get tossed, and they shouldn’t. Turn them into pickles instead.

16. The Perfect Kale Salad

No matter what ingredients you have, this ensures you get a killer kale salad every single time.

17. White Bean and Arugula-Walnut Pesto Tartines

You could also call this “spreadable greenness in a jar.”

18. Coconut Creamed Spinach

This recipe is reminiscent of one from the 1950s. Except much healthier and tastier.

19. Artichoke, Kale and Ricotta Pie

Good for when you want to switch up your quiche habits.

20. Black Bean an Chard Breakfast Tacos

Have your chard and eat it for breakfast too.

21. Radish Leaf Pesto

Yet another way to put greens that would otherwise make their way directly into the compost to good use.

Related on EcoSalon

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Image: Swiss Chard Rainbow

The post 21 Swiss Chard, Collard and Kale Recipes (and Many Other Leafy Greens) appeared first on EcoSalon.

This stuffed kale recipe is best served aside guacamole or a fat-based dressing for the final touch.

If you are anything like me, you love your salads rich and balanced in texture and flavor. When assembling a salad, I usually follow the Buddha-Bowl (and its relatively loose) guidelines: greens plus vegetable scraps plus grain plus avocado. However, even that absolutely satisfying meal can cease being a sight for sore (and hungry) eyes. That’s why, my new favorite way to enjoy salads is by wrapping greens around the would-be add-ins like in this stuff kale recipe. So good. Enjoy!

Bulgur Rice Stuffed Kale Leaves

Serves about 15

Ingredients

• ½ cup bulgur rice (or any rice)
• 4 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon olive oil
• ½ cup finely chopped onion
• ¼ cup finely chopped red bell pepper
• 1 scallion, chopped
• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 small tomato, shredded
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon + few dashes sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon + few dashes dried dill
• 10-15 leaves of lacinato kale (about 1-2 bunches)
• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 cucumber, shredded

Directions

Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, onion, and red pepper to a pot brought to medium-high heat. Cook and stir for a few minutes before adding 1 tablespoon of tomato paste. Continue to stir and cook for another minute. Add the bulgur and cook for another minute. Next, pour in 1 cup of water and stir until evenly combined. Bring the mixture to a boil before reducing heat to a simmer. Season with salt, pepper, and paprika. Put a lid on the pot and let simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the water has been absorbed and the rice cooked. Set aside to cool and pop into the fridge.

While the bulgur cooks, in a separate large pot filled 3/4 the way with water, bring to a soft boil. Add the lacinto kale stalks and sun-dried tomatoes. Simmer for 15 minutes. Both the kale and sun-dried tomatoes will soften. Remove from heat and drain. Rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.

With the bulgur mixture now cooled, fold in the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, lemon juice, chopped scallions, 1 chopped garlic clove, dill, oregano, basil, and grated tomato. (I add them at this stage because I want their flavors to remain fragrant and alive, not cooked to death.) Chop the sun-dried tomatoes that were boiled with the kale and add them to the bulgur. Mix the bulgur mixture until all is evenly combine. Taste for spices and add more salt if necessary.

To assemble, lay out each kale leaf vertically. Take 1-2 tablespoons of the bulgur mixture and place it on the bottom end of the long kale leaf. Roll the leaf over the mixture and unto itself once. Fold sides inward, and then continue to roll the leaf until it reaches its end. Continue with the remaining leaves.

Serve alongside your favorite salad dressing or guacamole. Enjoy!

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Photo Credit: GlowKitchen

The post Stuffed Kale Recipe with Bulgur Rice and Sun-Dried Tomatoes appeared first on EcoSalon.

I know. Carbs are bad. Pasta? Shame on me, right? But when you take the classic macaroni and cheese recipe and omit the milk, butter and cheese for a much healthier vegan cheese sauce, a few noodles won’t kill you.

The Blue Box of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese was my absolute favorite as a kid. Strange, because I didn’t really like cheese, butter or milk by themselves. I’m guessing there was some sort of addictive chemical in the artificial coloring.

As a vegan, I never really liked the faux cheese much, either. It smells weird and has a strange texture. But I am a huge fan of nutritional yeast, which just so happens to make the easiest and most delicious vegan macaroni and cheese recipe around. Add in gluten-free noodles and some sautéed kale, and well, like I said, suddenly the noodles don’t seem so indulgent.

Vegan Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

Makes six servings

Ingredients

1 lb gluten-free noodles like Tinkyada brown rice macaroni
1 cup nutritional yeast
1 cup warm water (take it from your cooking pasta water)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 bunch kale, stemmed and chopped* optional
1 teaspoon gluten-free Tamari sauce
salt and pepper

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and follow the package instructions for cooking the noodles.

While the noodles are cooking, sauté the kale in one tablespoon of the olive oil. Cook over medium heat until the kale is soft and bright green. Add tamari, mix well and remove from heat.

In a large bowl, mix the nutritional yeast with the warm water—adding slowly so that you get the desired consistency you like for your cheese sauce. You can add more than one cup if needed, or less, if you like it thicker. Add the remaining olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, and mix well. (I recommend a lot of fresh pepper.)

Once the noodles are cooked, toss well, adding the chopped kale. Enjoy!

Keep in touch with Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

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The post Vegan, Gluten-Free Macaroni and Cheese Recipe appeared first on EcoSalon.

ColumnBored with your cookbooks? Here’s what you really want to read but were afraid to admit.

Tired of the same old titles popping up at the bookstore? Here are the cookbooks you really wish you could track down.

1. How to Infuse Everything With Kale and Other Leafy Greens
2. The 100 Dishes That Will Most Likely Lead to a Third Date and then a Wedding
3. How to Pretend You Eat Well When You’re in a Room of Really Wholesome People
4. Fancy Sounding Dishes for Lazy Cooks: How to Impress Even When You Don’t Have Time
5. I Just Want to Eat Food: A Guide to Tasty Things You’ll Actually Have Time to Make
6. Food-Porn Free: 100 Delicious Dishes That Will Never Photograph Well, From Stew to Goulash
7. I Don’t Know Where to Buy Chia and Other First World Food Tribulations
8. One Ingredient Recipes
9. Make This Non-Vegan, Gluten-Filled, Sugar Dense Cake and Like It
10. Pick Up Lines for Foodies: Sexy Sentences to Find Your Mate
11. No More Big Ag in Your Breakfast
12. Home Alone on a Saturday and Crying: A Guide to Comfort Food
13. Sage, Fennel, and Rosemary: An A to Z Guide for Using Complicated Sounding Herbs
14. Make This in 11 Minutes But Make People Think It Took Two Hours

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This is the latest installment of Anna Brones’ weekly column at EcoSalon: Foodie Underground, an exploration of what’s new and different in the underground movement, and how we make the topic of good food more accessible to everyone. More musings on the topic can be found at www.foodieunderground.com.

Image: sling@flickr

The post 14 Awesome Cookbooks We Wish Someone Would Write: Foodie Underground appeared first on EcoSalon.

ColumnJust a few unusual uses for kale.

Right outside my window hang two pots of kale.

Kale. You may have heard of it. It’s a leafy green that trendy people are eating in New York City social circles apparently. And putting in smoothies. Yeah, that thing. Some are even calling it “the new beef.”

I even have a few plants growing off of the window guard rail. Sometimes a pigeon flies up and tries to sit in the pots and I yell and scream like a madwoman. “Get off my damn kale!” 

Kale might in fact be the food du jour, well actually, it might already be passe. But hell, you can put kale on anything, and just in case you were tempted, here is a list of just a few ways to put kale to good use. Because kale chips are so very last year, and it’s about time you upped the foodie ante.

1. The all kale diet.

2. Use kale to find a romantic partner. 

3. Bake a chocolate cake.

4. Infuse a kale cocktail.

5. Tie dye a shirt.

6. Serve it with ginger.

7. Kale popcorn.

8. Moisturize with it.

9. Make your own placemats when you finally decide to switch to a 100% biodegradable dinner table setting.

10. Pesto.

11. Popsicles.

12. Pizza.

13. Kale kombucha smoothie. No, really.

14. Kale muffins.

15. Improve your sex life.

16. Bake some kale scones and host a tea party.

17. Gluten free chocolate chip cookies.

18. Salsa.

19. Channel Martha Stewart and decorate your home with it.

20. Wear it.

21. Use it instead of flowers in a vase (well, preferably a mason jar). 

22. Make green food coloring.

23. Give yourself a kale facial.

24. Cupcakes for your child’s birthday party.

25. Kale ice cubes. 

This is the latest installment of Anna Brones’ weekly column at EcoSalon: Foodie Underground, an exploration of what’s new and different in the underground movement, and how we make the topic of good food more accessible to everyone. More musings on the topic can be found at www.foodieunderground.com.

Image: Bobbi Bowers 

The post Foodie Underground: 25 Uses for Kale You May Never Have Thought Of appeared first on EcoSalon.

ColumnAdventures in urban composting.

“The worm compost bin is getting delivered next week, we can finally get the worms going again!”

“Finally!”

This is what we call a romantic Foodie Underground conversation.

Let me take a few steps back. No wait, let me start from the beginning.

As an only child that lived in the country, I spent a lot of time outside plotting my own adventures. One of my favorite summer activities was to dig through the dirt in the garden and collect earthworms in recycled yogurt containers that my mother used to plant seedlings. I would put a few in the yogurt container, and walk around with them, taking great care to look after my little soil dwellers. I called it worm babysitting. Yeah, country girl, I know.

Fast forward a couple of decades.

Earlier this year I moved into a small, no, wait… tiny apartment in a huge city (it’s Paris in case you were wondering). Funny how in some of the world’s most expansive metropolises the housing is quite the opposite. It has been an adventure in accommodating my favorite activities to fit the space. Cooking and baking is a careful dance between slicing, chopping and mixing and doing dishes in between so as to keep enough counter space open. Dinner parties are capped at six people, because more would be hard to fit around the table. But somehow, with enough effort and desire, it all works.

It was into this space that the worms would work and the resulting compost would be put to good use.

If you get excited about food, it’s easy to get excited about growing it yourself, no matter where you live. This is not backyard homesteading with raised beds and a chicken coop, this is working around obstacles like space and creating an urban sanctuary that includes some greenery and fresh herbs to cook with. I’ll be damned if I let minimal square footage get in the way of gardening and cooking.

The worms had been on hiatus and were waiting for a new home, hence the need for a new bin. When the first round of vermicompost was ready, we pulled terracotta planters into the tiny dining room and sat on the floor, mixing compost and fresh dirt and replanted basil, mint, parsley and chives. I prepped two containers for kale seeds that would be arriving the following week (kale is, after all, quite difficult to find in Paris).

There is something about putting your hands in the dirt. There is something even better about putting your hands in compost. Call me a dirty hippie – you won’t be the first – but to be able to create your own fertilizer to grow plants from your own food waste is in fact an incredible thing. Don’t believe me? Try it.

The compost bins sit under the kitchen sink. When you open up the top one, you can feel the warmth that the breakdown of organic material (or in our case, 97 percent coffee grounds) generates. A reminder that you don’t need to live in the country to take part in the natural cycle of things.

The kale arrived and it was planted immediately; we’ll see which one of the two varieties do best. Some baby basil and cilantro seeds are doing well in the kitchen, and all of the terracotta pots hang off of the window guard rail, creating our own little Hanging Gardens of Babylon, four floors up in the Parisian courtyard.

It’s not just about eating good food, it’s about being part of the process, no matter where you are. It’s not a farm, or a raised bed with seven varieties of heirloom tomatoes, but it’s something; a mini-contribution to being a part of growing what we eat. To top it all off, next week a friend is passing on a kombucha baby. Compost, kale and kombucha… and you thought Paris was only for croissants and fromage.

At least you know that those tiny six-person dinner parties will consist of kale appetizers and kombucha cocktails, and we’ll be composting the leftovers of course. I promise not to show off the worms.

This is the latest installment of Anna Brones’ weekly column at EcoSalon: Foodie Underground, an exploration of what’s new and different in the underground movement, and how we make the topic of good food more accessible to everyone. More musings on the topic can be found at www.foodieunderground.com.

Images: Anna Brones

The post Foodie Underground: Growing Your Own appeared first on EcoSalon.

ColumnOur ongoing look inside the intriguing world of a foodie.

While madly searching for food trucks, a good greens blog and love – we get another look into the secret life of a foodie. (Part 1, 2 and 3 in case you missed them.)

Tuesday March 5, 2013, 9:14 pm

Dear Diary,

I have decided that this spring is the time to grow my own sprouts. Although now it just looks like I have a mold problem in the kitchen corner. Oh well. Speaking of mold, it looks like the kombucha has gone bad while I was away at my food writing immersion class. I am hoping to bring it back to life.

Friday March 8, 2013, 7:32 pm

Dear Diary,

Well, the kombucha has yet to respond to my revival attempts. Maybe I just need to toss it out and get a new baby?

Saturday March 9, 9:16am

Dear Diary,

Chia seed oatmeal for breakfast with local artisan honey and slivered almonds. Yum. I almost added dried figs. Too much? I also squeezed orange juice and made scones. It’s only 9am. Baking problem? No, real problem: I broke my French press.

Wednesday March 13, 2013 3:25 pm

Dear Diary,

Threw out old kombucha. Grosser than one might think. I Instagrammed it. On search for new baby. Must find.

Wednesday March 20, 2013 6:18 am

Dear Diary,

Friend of a friend of a friend of a friend that had liked my Minimalist Kitchen Spaces board on Pinterest has a kombucha baby. Success!

Thursday March 21, 2013 4:42 pm

Dear Diary,

I was given 12 fresh eggs from my neighbor down the hall who built a chicken coop in the backyard. At first I found the sound of the rooster at 5am annoying, but I am getting used to it and I do love fresh eggs. And the neighbor did look good building the chicken coop. Maybe I will invite him over for a new egg cake recipe I found last week.

Friday March 22, 2013 8:33 pm

Dear Diary,

Two eggs left. Apparently I have an egg problem. Not even enough to make the egg cake I was planning on baking for the neighbor, so now I am going to have to come up with something else. The only thing I have on hand is a chocolate kale cake (it was a favorite on my old greens blog. Why did I ever stop writing that?). Will he want to eat a chocolate kale cake?

Sunday March 24, 2013 5:52 pm

Dear Diary,

Coffee was a disaster. The kale was just a little off in the cake. I could tell the neighbor didn’t like it. Wait, maybe he doesn’t like food in general. But he built a chicken coop and has hop plants growing on the side of the apartment building. Is he just faking his artisanry? Or maybe he would have preferred a kombucha cocktail?

Tuesday March 26, 2013 6:36 pm

Dear Diary,

Well, I don’t think there will be any more coffee dates with Mr. I Think I Am an Artisan. He left a container of chocolate chip cookies by my door today. They were obviously made out of prepackaged cookie dough. What a disaster. Why couldn’t he just leave eggs?

Tuesday March 26, 2013 10:16 pm

Dear Diary,

Ok, so I ate the entire container of cookies. They would have been better with sea salt. I should write a cookbook.

Thursday March 28, 2013 7:45 pm

Dear Diary,

Mr. I Think I Am an Artisan asked if I wanted to split a raised bed in the backyard. I said yes. But then he said he hoped I wasn’t the kind of person that only wanted to grow kale. I lied and said no.

Saturday March 30, 2013 10:22 am

Dear Diary,

I went to the market and bought so much kale that it was protruding out of my bag when I came home. I had to sprint up the stairs to avoid the neighbor. But at least there were eggs by the door. Time for baked eggs in kale nests? With sea salt of course. Then off to buy a new French press. Maybe the cute guy at the kitchen supply store will be working.

This is the latest installment of Anna Brones’ weekly column at EcoSalon: Foodie Underground, an exploration of what’s new and different in the underground movement, and how we make the topic of good food more accessible to everyone. More musings on the topic can be found at www.foodieunderground.com.

Image: Anna Brones

The post Foodie Underground: The Secret Diary of a Foodie, Part 4 appeared first on EcoSalon.

ColumnWhere can I find ‘le kale’?

There are certain staples in the Foodie Underground diet: coffee, quinoa, sea salt, red wine, cardamom, kale.

In fact, we all have staples; the essentials that we depend on, the stuff that we’ll never dream of being without. The ingredients that wake you up in the middle of the night because you think, “shit, I am out of [insert essential fruit/vegetable/product here].”

Kale may in fact be at the top of my list, second only to coffee, naturally. The versatile green makes its way into a many a dish, and on the days when you can’t be bothered to cook at all, at least you can throw it in a pan with some olive oil and sea salt and saute away. If kale hasn’t already made it into your daily diet, you’re behind on the times. It’s the new beef after all. And it helps with depression.

Kale has of course experienced a renewed popularity as of late – the trendy green – resulting in raving fanatics paired with a humorous bit of mockery. The all kale diet? Yeah, you can almost believe it.

Obsessed with kale? You my friend are not alone. There’s a blog for that. Wait, two. I mean three. And a book for that matter.

But believe it or not, in some places in the world, kale isn’t a thing. Take France for example. You can get dandelion greens, rucola, parsnips and aubergines at the local marché, but try to find a bunch of kale and you might be searching for awhile. Imagine a world without kale chips… depressing, isn’t it? Red wine and good cheese will only take you so far.

It’s a funny thing when your staples are taken away from you. You hit a new level of obsession, the kind that makes you track down an ingredient at any price. Ask an expat how much they would pay for a jar of peanut butter and you’ll see what I am talking about. Three weeks without kale and I was craving kale chips like a madwoman.

My love of kale and travel had previously led me to The Kale Project, an initiative to reintroduce the vegetable to Paris. French-based food lover trying to revive my favorite green in the markets of Paris? Sold.

In France, kale is a forgotten vegetable. The kind of thing that one farmer grows, sometimes by accident, but no one really even knows what it is. Hell, the French can’t even decide on a unilateral name for the thing. It was once even called “the most elusive ingredient.” That’s why The Kale Project founder Kristen Beddard made it her mission to bring it back. Working with farmers, markets and restaurants, she’s putting the green on the Parisian map, one bunch of kale at a time. An admiral goal if you ask me.

I grabbed drinks with Kristen and another Paris-based food lover and locavore Emily of Paris Paysanne. What ensued was a conversation about the complexities of food politics, French versus American food culture and how to make a good winter kale soup. Friends within seconds. Kristin promised to let me know where to find kale as soon as her farmers let her know who would have it at their stand the following Saturday.

“They’ve got kale at C’Bio this weekend, I’ll be there around 10:45 if you want to go!”

It’s always nice to have an insider kale tip.

We wandered around Marché Biologique des Batignolles, one of Paris’ most renowned organic markets, navigating through the large crowd of market goers on a mission. Don’t dawdle while you’re standing in line or that sweet looking old French grandmother will cut right in front of you with her market sack on wheels.

I felt like I was a ten year old on a scavenger hunt. It seemed ridiculous to get so excited about a leafy green, and yet…

“There it is!”

Right there in the middle of C’Bio’s stand was an entire wooden crate of beautiful kale leaves.  “Chou/kale” it was marked.

“Un demi kilo s’il vous plaît.”

I wasn’t sure what I would do with a half a kilo of kale, but it seemed like the appropriate choice. Kristen took an entire kilo, “I have to develop this recipe…”

My kind of woman.

And that was how I ended up trekking the streets of Paris for an afternoon with half a kilogram of kale in my purse. Some might call that obsessed. I just call it knowing what’s good for you. Because on Sunday morning, brunch consisted of sauteed kale with fried organic eggs and cardamom currant scones.

Sometimes you just need your staples.

This is the latest installment of Anna Brones’ weekly column at EcoSalon: Foodie Underground, an exploration of what’s new and different in the underground movement, and how we make the topic of good food more accessible to everyone. More musings on the topic can be found at www.foodieunderground.com.

Images: Anna Brones

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