Kale salad

Hey, I liked kale BEFORE it became hip! back when it was cheap and relegated to the unpopular greens section along with mustard greens and collard greens (which I also love). Now there are tons of yummy kale salad recipes out there. My nephew was the first to make a kale salad for me, and I was charmed by the idea that you must massage the kale.

Portlandia on what it would be like to try to move celery into the same celebrity status as kale. I love this.


Here's the kale salad I'm currently eating:

--a bunch of lacinato kale, cut into ribbons. It is also known as Tuscan kale, cavolo nero, or dinosaur kale. Thomas Jefferson grew it at Monticello. Maybe I'll try growing it this year....

---add salt and the  juice of half a lemon, and massage it to break down some of the fibers
--dress with a good olive oil and a fresh, plump shallot, minced.
--let it rest in the fridge overnight

When ready to serve, mix it up again and add "salad buddies." I've been adding raw mushrooms, because I like the contrast of textures. Since tomatoes are out of season and I refuse to pay over a dollar for an avocado, they are not present, but I have some slivered almonds to toast (could also use hazelnuts or pecans, not sure about walnuts, maybe too astringent) some thinly sliced radishes, crumbled blue cheese (or parmesan) and some shredded daikon and carrot. Probably not all at once.