Variety
Red Russian
The tenderest, most beautiful kale — red-veined leaves with a mild, sweet flavour
Red Russian is a heritage kale with distinctive serrated, red-veined leaves that are significantly more tender and milder in flavour than standard curly kale. The flavour is sweet, slightly peppery, and completely lacking the bitterness that some people associate with kale. The leaves are delicate enough to eat raw in salads when young. An excellent variety for converting kale sceptics and for raw winter salads.
Flavour
Mild, sweet, and slightly peppery with almost no bitterness — the most accessible kale flavour. The red veining adds a visual interest that translates to a hint of minerality in the flavour. Young leaves are particularly tender and delicate; older leaves develop more character without becoming harsh. After light frost, the flavour becomes notably sweeter.
In the kitchen
Young leaves excellent raw in winter salads — tear and massage with olive oil and lemon to soften. Whole leaves chargrilled until wilted and slightly crispy at the edges make an unusual and impressive side dish. Also excellent quickly wilted in a pan with garlic and chilli, or added to grain bowls and grain salads alongside smoked ingredients.
Growing
Sow May–July for autumn and winter harvest. More cold-sensitive than cavolo nero or curly kale — protect with fleece in hard frosts. Plant 45cm apart. The striking red veining is most vivid in cool weather; summer-grown plants may be more green. Open-pollinated variety — seed can be saved. Available from most UK seed suppliers.