Recipes: Seven ideas from around the world for using kale

Lacinato kale, a Tuscan heirloom variety, was a novelty in California farmers markets 10 years ago. Today, it is one of the more common winter greens in the farmers markets that I frequent. It's the best variety of kale for cooking, in my opinion.

A few bites of kale will give you your daily recommended dose of Vitamins A and K -- good for your vision and your blood, respectively -- and it is chock full of numerous other nutrients. Better yet, it's tasty and versatile, as these seven recipes illustrate.