Sea Kale in Season

SEA KALE (Crambe Maritima). 
Available from Glasrai and Goodies in Gowran.

A native Irish plant that grows on shingle beaches - so not to be found in County Kilkenny. It has become quite rare in the wild, so be sure to use only cultivated plants.

Sea Kale ready to be picked.

In prehistoric times, before the domestication of cereal crops, the root was an important source of carbohydrates, for the hunter-gatherer. The whole plant can be eaten, but usually it is the blanched young shoots, with their slightly nut like flavour, that are most sought after. In the past, shingle was heaped up around wild plants, growing along the edges of such beaches. This had the effect of blanching the plants.

Peron, J.Y., Gouget, M., Declercq, B., 1991 in their Composition nutritionnelle du Crambe Maritime reveal that Sea Kale not only tastes great but has a high protein and fibre content, a high quantity of potassium/low sodium and excellent calcium/phosphorus ratio, and contains good vitamins such as thiamine (Vitamin B1).

Freshly picked Sea Kale, showing blanched shoots and unblanched leaves.

In 1827, John M'Craith, a Kilkenny nurseryman, advertised Sea Kale plants for sale, alongside "Stove and Greenhouse Exotics". In 1834, specimens were successfully exhibited, from the Bishop of Ossory's gardens, by Mr. Monk (who, presumably, was the Bishop's head gardener), at the Kilkenny Horticultural Society's show.

It was a great favourite of the Victorians and Edwardians, but the vogue for Sea Kale declined with the demise of the walled vegetable garden.

Cooked blanched Sea Kale (top) and cooked unblanched Sea Kale leaves (below).

HOW TO COOK

Drop into boiling salted water and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until just tender. Drain pour melted butter over and sprinkle a little chopped parsley and serve. 

Young, unblanched leaves are pleasant to eat, if cooked in a similar manner, but lack the subtle nuances of the paler shoots.

Such a delicious vegetable deserves greater recognition, easily cooked, is worthy of further culinary exploration. 

Email: kilkennyseakale@gmail.com

Sea Kale on the first day of Spring

The Sea Kale plants were checked today to ensure that all was well and that the pesky slugs had not launched an attack.

Blanched young Sea Kale shoots

The plants have spent the winter under terracotta pots, excluded from all light. The new blanched shoots are beginning to sprout and are doing well under their upturned pots. The shoots are blanched, not forced, and are allowed to develope in their own natural time.

In a few weeks time, they will be ready for cutting and they will be available for sale in Glasrai & Goodies shop in Gowran, County Kilkenny.

Look out for them so you can eat them when freshly cut.
Email: kilkennyseakale@gmail.com

Sea Kale in Autumn

The Sea Kale has done well over the summer months, recovering fully after all its spring shoots were cut for eating. Despite the bad summer, it has built up its reserves for the winter and now looks like some nobbly monster.

Sea Kale in the Autumn

Today, it was mulched with three year old well rotted horse manure and once the final leaves have fallen off, it will be covered with earthenware pots and tucked away until the spring, when there should be a mass of lucious, blanched shoots - a great delicacy.

Sea Kale ready to be covered

It was nurtured in this manner in Victorian and Edwardian kitchen gardens, but has subsequently grown out of favour with diners.
Email: kilkennyseakale@gmail.com