Kale is local and plentiful, and tomatoes are at their peak.  I would only make this dish when tomatoes are at their best because I want very red, meaty pulp with as little water and seeds as possible.  The dish should be moist, but not watery.  The onions and tomatoes give the kale a wonderful, natural sweetness and tartness at the same time. 

One crucial step in this recipe is to peel and seed the tomatoes.  You’ll see this step in many classical recipes and it’s much quicker and easier than it sounds.   Simply dip the tomatoes in boiling water for 10 – 20 seconds and remove.  The skin will blister and peel off easily with your hands.

To remove seeds, simply quarter the tomatoes and run your fingers around the cavities to remove seeds and excess water.  Chop the tomatoes coarsely and you’ll have a nice cubes of meaty tomato. 

The onions get sauteed until soft and beginning to caramelize, then the tomatoes get added and sauteed briefly.  The kale is tossed into the skillet and all is combined.  The whole mixture gets a drizzle of raw extra-virgin olive oil, and the dish can be presented either hot or at room temperature. 

Tonight, the rest of our meal consisted of our local favorite–seared Montauk scallops and quinoa with zucchini.  Summer’s not over yet!

Kale with Tomatoes and Onion

serves 4

1 large bunch of kale, stripped off stems and cut into 1/2″ ribbons

1 onion, coarsely diced

2 large, ripe tomatoes, peeled and seeded, as described above

1/4 c + 2 tbls extra-virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Drop kale into salted, boiling water and blanch for 5 minutes.  Drain in strainer.

In a broad skillet on low heat, brown the onions in 1/4 cup of olive oil until lightly caramelized (about 7 – 9 minutes).  Add in diced tomatoes.

Saute for approximately 3 minutes more.  Stir in kale, taste and add salt.  Continue sauteing for another 3 – 4 minutes, until most of the water evaporates.