On Trend

I don't get this whole fascination with kale.  I mean, it's good, but I wouldn't go out of my way to eat it.

That's too bad, because my CSA basket runneth over with kale.  In fact, I have had to incorporate kale into practically everything we eat just to use up my weekly allotment.  Kale is obviously good for you, being dark green and all.  It's also very trendy, so I guess there are worse problems to have than having to figure out new ways to prepare it.

This is actually a really nice salad recipe, and the fact that the greens are kale is just an added bonus.  It has lots of other ingredients I like: pecans, dried cherries, and goat cheese.  The dressing is simple, and you can tenderize the kale by allowing it to marinate in the dressing for a little while before you serve the salad.

I might also just note that Gwyneth Paltrow loves kale, and we all know that if Gwynnie loves something it must be on trend.


Recipe:  Kale Salad with Cherries and Pecans
(The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman)

Ingredients:

For the Salad:
1/2 cup pecans
8 ounces Black Kale, also known as Cavolo Nero, or Lacinato, Dinosaur, or Tuscan Kale
4 ounces radishes, sliced into paper-thin rounds
1/2 cup dried cherries
2 ounces soft goat cheese, chilled

For the Dressing:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon smooth Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Optional step: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spread the pecans on a tray. Toast them for 5 to 10 minutes, tossing them once or twice to make sure they toast evenly. Remove them from the oven and set them aside to cool.

Wash your kale and let it dry on spread-out kitchen or paper towels. Then, with a knife, remove the rib from each stalk, leaving long strips of kale leaves. Stack the leaves in small batches, roll them tightly the long way, and cut the roll crosswise into thin ribbons. Add the kale ribbons to a large salad bowl.

Add the radishes, pecans and cherries. Crumble the goat cheese over top.

Whisk dressing ingredients together in a small dish, and pour the dressing over the salad.

NOTE: This salad is great to eat right away, but even better after 20 minutes of tenderizing in the dressing.