Wednesday is for Foodies! Spending the center of the week in the heart of the home.
I love a chopped salad because you have several flavors in your mouth at the same time. This one uses kale and this recipe has been known to convert “I don’t like kale” folks into “Would you make that kale salad?” people.
Note: Tuscan kale should be on every person’s “must plant” list and it’s easy to grow from seeds. I usually get several packets of Renee’s Garden Kale seeds (Lincinato Italian Heirloom Kale) in the spring so I’ll have some to plant early and others for later in the summer. This kale is so frost tolerant you can harvest all through the fall.
Serves 6 as a side dish or 3 to 4 as a main dish.
Time from start to table, 20 minutes
Salad
1 bunch of kale about 12 leaves, preferably Tuscan aka Dinosaur
1 can hearts of palm, drained
1 can artichoke bottoms or hearts drained or 1 package of vacuum-packed artichoke hearts.
1 red bell pepper
½ cup toasted walnuts or almonds
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Dressing
Juice of 1 lemon
¼ cup walnut oil (could sub olive oil)
salt and pepper to taste
If it’s the middle of winter you can usually find organically grown kale in the supermarket.
Put walnuts into an oven or toaster oven at 250° for 12 minutes. (Note: nuts continue to toast after you remove them from the oven so better to take them out too soon.)
Wash kale and peppers.
Spin dry kale in salad spinner or blot with a clean dish towel.
Cut peppers, artichoke bottoms and hearts of palm into small pieces and gather in a bowl.
Chop peppers, artichokes, and hearts of palm into small pieces about 1/2 inch square although don’t get too fussy about it.
If the kale has thick ribs toward the bottom of the leaves, cut these off.
The rib on the upper part of the leaf usually isn’t too hard but cutting off the lower, larger rib is a good idea.
Gather a stack of kale leaves in your hand and cut into ribbons about ½ inch thick.
I put a stack of about six to eight leaves together, hold them firmly with one hand and slice the kale into ribbons with a sharp knife.
Put all salad ingredients into a bowl. Mix dressing ingredients in a jar and shake well to blend. Dress the salad just before serving.
Squeeze the lemon into a bowl, jar or measuring cup, add the oil and salt and pepper to taste, and toss the salad before serving. Note: some people like more dressing than I do. If you prefer a more heavily dressed salad, double the dressing and perhaps the grated cheese.
Note: unlike other salads that don’t keep well to the next day after they are dressed, this one is perfect the day after. Make enough for dinner, and then take it to work the next day for lunch.
Bon Appétit!
This photo was taken in my garden last year in mid-November. We continued to harvest kale until just after Christmas!
