Amara Ethiopian Kale

New to the West, this Ethiopian/East African Kale (Brassica carinata) has been grown in its homeland for 6000 years. Its leafy greens are now becoming popular in the US, tasting like buttery young collards with an extra something to enrich the flavor. The Amara cultivar has smooth and deep green leaves with a wavy margin. For a good production of greens, plant seedlings 6” apart in good garden soil, preferably in the early Spring and early Fall. The young leaves can be picked for microgreens; otherwise harvest tufts of leaves when the plants are 1-2’ tall. Cut the central stem, leaving 2 sets of leaves, and the remaining stem will produce several more crops, like cutting lettuce. The white flowers are sweet and tasty in salads. The plants are often left to reseed in the beds to produce a later crop.