Pour enough olive oil into a large soup pot to cover the bottom. Over medium heat cook the onion, garlic, and chile flakes for several minutes, until the onion begins to soften, about 10 minutes. Add the potatoes, broth, and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Add the kale, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until the kale is tender and the potatoes are soft, about 10-12 minutes. Remove the bay leaf. If a smoother texture is desired, blend with an immersion blender. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
They changed for dinner. In those days //
no one was in a hurry, it was real time //
every time. Usually the streets were saddled with fog //
at night. In the daytime it mostly blew away. //
We kept on living because we knew how. //
Maple seeds like paperclips skittered in the allees. //
We knew not how many enthusiasts climbed the slope, //
nor how long they took. It was, in the words of one, //
"beholding" not to know. We eased by.
-- John Ashbery, "Tension in the Rocks"
This page was last modified on 2011 December 20.