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The dyno kale Ive been bringing home for the last few weeks has been unusually tough, even after long simmering. Do you have any suggestions?

Ask Me Anything (Office Hours)

Char Nolan - Ask Me Anything (Office Hours)

Recorded

This event was on April 23, 2024

Join Chef Char Nolan in her virtual office as she welcomes all of your questions. This event was created for you and we encourage you to ask anything – from cooking techniques to course-specific questions, to how to turn your cooking passion into profit or simply hearing the perspective of a professional chef, Chef Nolan is ready to answer them all.

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Question

Fran Costigan

The dyno kale Ive been bringing home for the last few weeks has been unusually tough, even after long simmering. Do you have any suggestions?

Answer

It's very funny, Fran, that you wrote this question about kale because last night when I was getting ready to saute some dino kale, it seemed a little tough to me. So, uh, what I did, and I don't usually do this when I cook kale, but I massaged it first and after I washed it, I usually dry the excess water off. But I thought a little extra moisture in the pan would help it. So massage, and after you wash it, uh, don't bother drying it because the kale needs a little bit, uh, extra moisture at that time. Uh, I also noticed that the leaves of the dyno of these last two weeks have been huge and gigantic, whereas I'm used to seeing them smaller and petite where they're a little bit more tender. So I think that, uh, the size of the kale leaf might also have something to do with that. But, uh, hail to kale, powered to kale, we love our kale. And, uh, making it soft and tender is the best and most enjoyable way to eat it.

Char Nolan

Chef Instructor

Char Nolan is a serious crusader for plant-based education, armed with a degree in public health from Philadelphia’s Temple University. She teaches nutrition and plant-based cooking throughout Philadelphia, and in many underserved communities. Char holds a certificate in plant-based nutrition from eCornell and completed Rouxbe’s Plant-Based Professional Certification course in 2015. In 2019, Char completed post-graduate course work in social media marketing at the University of the Arts. When she is not cooking or teaching, she manages social media accounts for several plant-based influencers. Char prides herself on learning everything she knows about cooking from growing up in her grandparents’ Italian restaurant. Her favorite vegetables are Brussels sprouts and kale, of course. Char originally hails from Queens, NY, but has lived in Philadelphia most of her adult life. She is a former Peace Corps Volunteer.