ANOTHER RECIPE --- SWEET SUMMER KALE SALAD

Two posts in one day! But I couldn't resist sharing this recipe.

Whole Foods makes this summer kale salad that I really love, but I've never been able to find the recipe. I had a hankerin' for it today, so I decided to make my own and improvise a little bit.  Keep in mind that I don't usually measure when I experiment, so what I list here is approximate, and you might need to play with it a little bit to find what suits your taste. (Oh, and about the pic ... that's about half what the recipe makes. I didn't get to photograph the goodies until after we ate).

Here's what you do:

Stem a bunch of fresh kale. I used the regular, curly-leaf kind, as opposed to the broader, bumpy-leaf Dinosaur Kale. Steam it lightly (maybe three minutes) until it's just barely cooked and bright green, then immediately blanch it in a bowl of ice water. Drain it, dry it in a dishtowel, and chop it up very finely (it's important to chop it pretty small ... it's a texture thing).

In a medium bowl, whisk about a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, 1-2 teaspoons of honey, the juice of half a lime and half a lemon, a teaspoon of orange extract (I would have used fresh orange juice if I'd had it, probably half an orange), about a quarter cup of canola oil, and salt and pepper to taste.

Add the kale to the bowl and toss well until all the leaves are coated. Add a quarter cup each of dried cranberries and toasted walnuts. Chill.

Mmmmm!

If you've always wanted to try out some different kinds of leafy greens, this is a great way to start. Kale is a nutritional treasure. A whole cup has only 33 calories, along with Vitamins A, C, K, and B6, and a bunch of other goodies. It has about 7g of carbs, 2g protein, and 1g of fiber. It's very filling, too.

It's a wonderful accompaniment to fish (we had it with grilled rainbow trout and cilantro lime garlic ginger grilled shrimp), very light and refreshing. And if you like your plate to look pretty, it's also quite attractive and adds a lot of color and texture.

Now if I could just find some innovative ways to use up all the Swiss chard that is taking over my garden ...

Comments

[Cindy]

Thanks, Ron! Dried cherries sound like a good option. Cranberries are cheaper, though. ;)

[Ron]

Hi, if you want the actual ingredients I just took a photo of the label as I got some of my favorite salad at Whole Foods. It's probably the healthiest possible salad one could make, I think. Kale is possibly the healthiest food on the planet!

Kale, Almonds, dried cherries, dried apples, garlic, shallots, orange juice, white balsamic vinegar, red chili flakes, oregano, honey, dijon mustard, olive oil, salt, pepper.

I'm pretty sure they used to use cranberries like yours instead of cherries. Anyways, I hope this helps!

[Christmas]

This salad looks great. I'm goona cook it tonight, I hope my girlfriend will like it!

[tramadol]

You have veggies in your garden? Wow! Good for you! My bf love veggies! I think I'll surprise him with this one!

[emelybogart]

Wow, this is nice recipe thanks for this one.

[Reggie Greenberg]

I didn't have any cranberries, so I substituted chopped dried pineapple. This is really good. I can't wait to try it with dried cranberries.

[Evelyn]

I had steamed chard with garlic tonight. Easy and filling.

[Cindy]

I love chard, too ... we've just got SO MUCH of it and it is not at all discouraged by the regular hacking off of its leaves. In fact, I think the sucker regenerates overnight.

We're getting tons of yellow squash and zucchini now, and I just plucked our first two tiny cherry tomatoes (hopefully the big ones will ripen soon, before the birds get them). I spied a couple of basil plants coming back under the shade of the tomato vines, and planted cuke seedlings yesterday. The beans are tall but not yet producing, and the okra is coming in nicely but is a slow grower. We won't get okra until much later in the summer. The peppers are doing well, though! I love summer bounty fresh from the garden. Makes it easy to eat your veggies!

[kelleyramee@gmail.com]

I love swiss chard! And I'm so jealous that down there in the South you've already got veggies in your garden. I like to make quiche and egg dishes with swiss chard. I also saute it with some garlic and hot pepper flakes, yum.