Kale is not gross. Be a big girl/boy and try some with this recipe:
Makes salad for one. Buy and use more ingredients to increase the yield.
Organic red kale (kale is considered one of the "dirty dozen" meaning you really should buy organic)
Organic lacinato kale
fresh cilantro
organic roma tomato
organic avocado
organic green onion
dash of kosher salt
organic balsamic vinegar
Wash kale and peel the leaves from the hard ribs. Tear into smaller pieces, reasonable for a salad. Take a small bunch of the cilantro and chop some of the stems off. Roughly chop the rest, so that there are some full cilantro leaves, or to your liking. Slice up one green onion stalk, storing some for a tofu scramble if it proves to be too much. Slice one roma tomato any way you wish. Slice up the avocado insides and add this and all the prior-mentioned ingredients to the kale in a bowl. Sprinkle on the salt and dress, sparingly, with balsamic.
Kale can indeed be bitter. It seems to me the more colorful, the less bitter; green kale is the most bitter, lacinato is very mild. I believe buying organic also helps the taste. If all you can find is green kale, fear not! Right away when making your salad massage the dressing into the leaves, then let it marinate for about 20 minutes. That should help.
Kale may be a food that grows on you. Try it once...then try it again. If you're lucky, you'll love it straight away! Kale is PACKED with nutrients, minerals, and even protein.
Happy bravery!
