I am in love.
I walked in to Trader Joe's (an hour's drive from my house) last weekend and the first thing I saw was this bag of kale. This beautiful, amazing bag of pre-washed kale was sitting on the shelf so nonchalantly, as if bags of pre-washed kale were available at every grocery store. No flashing neon signs to draw attention to such a wonderful thing. I was flabbergasted and threw two into my cart before anyone else could grab them.
Now, I know I live in a small town. Our grocery selections are not as broad as those in larger cities. Is pre-washed kale a new thing?
I love eating kale.
I detest washing kale.
Dirt hides in all those curls and folds and has to be scrubbed out. I bought flat-leaf (lacinato) kale seeds for the garden for easier washing, but still had to scrub them because of the bugs. (They looked like aphids. I need to try ladybugs this year.)
Finding pre-washed, pre-cut kale was the highlight of my week.
I've been eating it every day since. I threw some in a barley and bean minestrone. I sautéed some with quinoa and nuts for breakfast. (Yes, really. That's how much I love kale!) Today it was sautéed beside huevos rancheros à la Smitten Kitchen (minus the cheese and beans). Cutting out the prep work makes this my new favorite ingredient. I'm going to be traveling to Trader Joe's a lot more often.
My heart is so happy.
