For those of you who still have Tuscan kale in the garden….or can find it in the store, this is a yummy salad. Serves 6

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

1 Cup Wild Rice (2 cups water and pinch of salt to cook) 
6 to 8 large leaves Tuscan Kale
2 Large Garnet Yams
1 organicly grown green apple
1 cup almonds
Greens from 2 scallions

Balsamic vinaigrette (your own recipe or this: 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1/2 cup walnut oil, 2 teaspoons maple syrup, salt and pepper to taste)

Toast almonds briefly at 350 degrees. Remove after about 5 or 10 minutes but before they turn dark brown. Chop coarsely.

Boil the water and add pinch of salt. Add the wild rice and turn the temperature down to low immediately. Cook until the rice is just barely done but still has some crunch, stirring once or twice. If water remains once rice is done drain it off.

Slice the yams into pieces about 3/4 of an inch thick. Place them on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and bake in 350 degree oven until just barely done. You want them to be tender but not mushy. Remove from the oven as soon as the slices can be easily pierced by a fork. Remove peel and cut into bite-sized pieces.

Cut out largest part of the central rib on the kale leaves, pile them together and slice into thin ribbons.

Core and chop apple into bite sized pieces. Toss with a bit of lemon juice to prevent browning.

Chop the greens from 2 scallions very finely.

Cool all cooked ingredients to room temperature and toss everything together. Add dressing and toss again.

This would be a great meal in itself when served with goat cheese spread on toast…

This salad would be good with orange or grapefruit segments instead of apples. It would also be good with cashews instead of almonds.