pierino, I love the way you help put into context (the context being the history of the world) everything related to food and cooking! HK, the kind I have is almost a light green, with pale pinky-red stems. It's so delicate looking, unlike any other kale I've ever seen or used. I can certainly see how it would not require much cooking. Really like all of the suggestions posted. ;o)

Borscht. Don't forget, "cabbage won the war". Kale is a non-heading cabbage.

Hi AJ - I bought some of this earlier in the season and did some research as a result. Your milder climate might make this kale more like what I got in the fall in DC. Mine was purple tinged and very flat leaved - not at all curly. Apparently, that is the look earlier in the season and it gets redder as we get into winter. When I used it, it was among the mildest and sweetest kale I've had. It was perfect for Melissa Clarks raw salad with pecorino:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/24/dining/241arex.html

You can use this in any manner you'd use kale, but it is not a kale that requires blanching and long cooking. Enjoy!

I'm getting ready to make this
http://www.food52.com/recipes/7474_toasted_moong_dal_with_collards
again for visitors tomorrow, and so far I haven't found a green yet that hasn't done something interesting to the dish. The lentil base, I find, really provides a platform for the greens to shine.

Could you make a caesar salad, AJ? I had the best Caesar with the green Italian kale and it was just so fresh tasting. The stems were removed. And how about a gratin along the lines of a chard gratin recipe?

Is it baby red kale (which I believe you can eat as salad greens) or adult russian red kale? Frequently kale recipes call for stem removal- I often leave them in (I figure anything that chewy must be good for me)- having said that, red kale stems are quite chewy.I've enjoyed it with sausage and pasta, and certainly you could braise it with some pork or pancetta . . .Also, I've read about incorporating it into a grain dish- even with dried fruits or nuts. Lastly- I love kale over a pizza- like a riff on a quattro stagioni pie. Look forward to hearing what you make!