One of the topics that comes up in the veggie co-op once in a while is vegetables, and so I came across a very interesting cultural phenomenon: kale. I am from the Netherlands, and in the Netherlands kale is a famous vegetable. It only grows and is eaten during winter. I was very surprised this year when I found out that kale is a hipster thing in the U.S. Why do people want to eat kale salads? When I told people back home they had to laugh. In the Netherlands, kale is not hipster. Kale is traditional, ancient and your grandparents’ favorite meal. We usually boil the kale with potatoes and then mash it all together. Here is a recipe for eating kale the Dutch way.

Normally, in the Netherlands people eat this dish with some little pieces of bacon and some wurst, but this is a veggie recipe, so no preaching of meat here. Instead, you can add some strong cheese and/or fried mushrooms to give the stamppot some extra taste.

Enjoy your stamppot boerenkool!

Stamppot Boerenkool

Ingredients

• 2 lbs, 3 oz of potatoes
• 1 lb. and 12 ozs of freshly cut kale
• 1/2 cup of milk
• Vinegar, salt and pepper (to taste)

Directions

• Scrape and cut the potatoes in pieces, then boil with little water for 5 minutes.
• Add the kale and let it boil for another 15 minutes.
• Use a mashing spatula to mash the potatoes and kale.
• Add the milk, vinegar, salt and pepper (use your own amounts).