Rainbow Lacinato Kale

THE STORY: A cross by breeder Frank Morton between the extremely cold hardy Redbor and Lacinato. The majority of the plants have a deep green, crinkled Lacinato-type leaf with a bright purple stem and slight ruffling along the edges. There is a bit of variation from this, some plants are more ruffled than others, resembling the Redbor parentage, others a bit more green, resembling Lacinato closely. When left outdoors once winter hits, about 40% of mature plants turn a deep purple, almost black, as pictured in the slideshow. Plant this variety if you prefer the Lacinato type kales, but want something a bit more cold hardy.

USE: The flavor of this kale is sweet and the texture substantial but not too rough. A great kale for steaming and sauteing. The color and flavor mixes nicely with other cold-hardy greens.