Kale Salad

Kale Salad

As Henry says, "Brooklyn is the kale capitol of the world". Well, we live in Brooklyn and kale is a big topic of conversation so it was only a matter of time before I served kale salad at a family gathering.  And it was a big hit, at least for the kale lovers and even for those who are unsure about it. The kale haters stood firm and didn't touch the stuff.

If you are willing to give it a try, this recipe is a fine way to begin. It is adapted from a recipe in Self Magazine (December 2012 edition) and can be made in advance.

Juice of 1 lemon
1 shallot, chopped
1 tsp. honey
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 bunches kale, stems removed, leaves shredded or finely chopped
2 tbl. extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup sliced almonds
2 oz. Parmesan, crumbled (optional)

In a bowl, whisk juice, shallot, honey, salt and pepper flakes.  Add kale, toss well and massage kale leaves for about 30 seconds. Let sit 20 minutes. Mix in oil. Refrigerate for up to 1 day or serve immediately.

In a dry pan, toast almonds over medium heat, tossing constantly, until color deepens, 1 0r 2 minutes. Add almonds and optional parmesan to kale.  Serve.

Notes: Original recipe calls for adding 8 dates, pitted and chopped.  That didn't appeal to me but you might want to try it.  When I toast almonds, it is usually in the toaster oven.  This might taste good with sliced apples, pears or Asian pears. It is a basic recipe that you can easily fool around with.