A memoir of love, life, and recipes from the woman who brought
kale to the City of Light
The story of how one expat woman left her beloved behind when she
moved to France—her beloved kale, that is. Unable to find le chou kale anywhere
upon moving to the City of Light with her new husband, and despite not really
speaking French, Kristen Beddard launched a crusade to single-handedly bring
kale to the country of croissants and cheese. Infused with Kristen’s recipes
and some from French chefs, big and small (including Michelin star chef Alain
Passard) Bonjour Kale is a humorous, heartfelt memoir of how Kristen,
kale, and France collide.
While no one could
accuse me of being a passionate kale lover, I am drawn to Parisian memoirs. And
this one stands apart from the rest simply because it is about kale. But don’t
worry, even though the theme is about one American woman’s search for kale in
Paris, it isn’t just about the leafy vegetable. Kale is a metaphor for
Beddard’s adjustment to French life and culture. The picture she paints of her early months is
bleak and discouraging, a small part of which is the fact that she has trouble
finding ingredients commonplace in New York, including kale. Jobless and
directionless, Beddard decides to bring kale to Paris by convincing local
farmers to start growing the leafy green and restaurants and locals to buy
it. Beddard’s experiences as a fish out
of water are relatable and I got caught up in the momentum of her
passion project.
Recipes with a
healthy bent (some without a whit of kale) end every chapter. My favorite one is easy and versatile. Called Sharzie’s Secret Sauce (after her
mom), I use it a couple of times a week as a salad dressing, drizzled over
chicken or vegetables.
Sharzie’s Secret Sauce
Ingredients:
3/8 cup or 6
tablespoons olive oil
3 tbsp Umeboshi*
vinegar
1 teaspoon dill
Combine the olive
oil and vinegar in a medium-size jar.
Sprinkle the dill into the jar, covering the liquid mixture. Shake
vigorously. Taste. If desired, add more dill. Dressing will keep for 2-3 weeks.
*I’ve made
variations of this sauce by substituting white wine vinegar and adding some
salt and a squeeze of lemon.
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