may day

[stellanoir]

Am invited to two May Day celebrations and they're both pot luck.

I've been feeling as though it's about time to cook a massive Eggplant Parmesan the same way I've made it for random special occasions for decades.

Really haven't modified the recipe since I first concocted as a teen because it's always been enjoyed greatly and I've never ever flubbed it.

A friend gave me several handfuls of fresh kale last night. It had miraculously wintered over through a very cold & snowy season in Southern New England. The plants were about four feet high and looked like goofy little shrubs. The leaves are not at all bitter.

I'm wondering if I steam it and sandwich between the layers of eggplant slathered with sauce a cheese it would be an enhancement or might those flavors conflict strangely?

As I'm typing this I feeling as though it could be a textural delight and I might as well try it.

But since I've already typed this and I've not yet baked the eggplant or made the sauce, I'm still open to all suggestions.

[yellerpup]

1. I bet it would be terrific.

But then, I am crazy for kale. :thumbsup:

[Warpy]

2. Kale that has wintered over would be wonderful

Just add lots of garlic. Kale loves garlic.

The best time to buy kale is after the first freeze. It's always less bitter that way.

[japple]

3. If the plants were 4' high, it might be a bit on the tough side if you

don't chop it before steaming. Otherwise, I'd go for it. Sounds like a good combination.

[stellanoir]

4. Thanks for the encouragement yp & warpy but now

I've yet another conundrum.

The eggplant is baked and the veggies (yes warpy -they would be inclusive of 4 HEADS of garlic) are chopped for the sauce. I got that much accomplished and then noticed that the dump was about to close. So off I went and couldn't help but notice that the fiddleheads by the side of the road are primed for harvesting. Woo Hoo.

How weird would kale AND fiddleheads be in the parmesan. . .?

I'll put it all together tomorrow and will definately harvest some fiddleheads at sunrise.

If I don't use them in the parmesan, I'll just do what I usually do with them. That would be to sautee up some garlic, onions, (maybe some shrooms, make some brown rice with chunks of ginger, and steam the fiddleheads, and top with some fresh Italian parsely.

Fiddlehead season (3-5 days max) is the shortest season of all methinks. You foodies probably know of something more fleeting though.

[canetoad]

5. Kale, which has been cunningly rebadged as Tuscan Cabbage

Takes on, in my opinion, an unpleasant, metallic taste when overcooked. I'd chop it finely and layer it raw in the dish and let the oven lightly cook it.

If it's particularly tough, soaking it in a sink of hot tap water for a few minutes will soften it without cooking too much.