I bought some kale…now what?

Unlike the sardines I’ve been begging you to eat, which can sit in your pantry pretty much indefinitely, produce needs to be consumed quickly.  So we need to know what to do with it.

So what about kale?  I have seen many recipes that call for tearing the kale into tiny pieces, and massaging it with olive oil to soften it.  Excuse me!!?? Massage the kale?  If anyone needs a massage, it’s me, not my kale.  So here’s what I do.

While the large leaf kales are very beautiful and appealing under the soft lighting at Wegmans, they are the ones that tend to be tough.  To make your life easy, buy baby kale.  Preferably some that’s already been washed. (Just trying to save you from digging for that salad spinner.)

Take a few handfuls of the already washed baby kale, put it on a cutting board, and run a knife through it a few times.  Repeat as many times as necessary to produce enough chopped kale to make some type of salad. Easy.  The baby kale is already much more tender than the mature stuff. Running a knife through it a few times softens it up even more, and makes it absorb dressing better.

So what type of salad do I make with this baby kale I’ve chopped up?  I’ve mentioned in earlier posts that I’m not one to measure.  Or really follow recipes.  I tend to throw things together that I think will taste good.  Most of the time it works.

So here are some ideas:

The bitter taste of kale blends well with a little sweetness.  In winter, I’ll throw in some organic raisins and raw sunflower seeds.  The dressing is freshly squeezed lemon juice (use a good lemon squeezer) raw honey, and olive oil. This is surprisingly delicious.

If you want something more savory, I like chopped red bell peppers, tomatoes (only if they’re in season), cucumber, and some olive oil tossed with the chopped baby kale.  Don’t be shy with the Himalayan pink salt.  This is also really good.  You could throw some left over chicken on top and make it a meal.

And in summer, when the cherries are in season, you have to try this one…so crazy good!  Add bing cherries, pitted and halved, and walnuts.  Make a dressing of good balsamic vinegar and olive oil.  This is amazing, and tastes better if it sits for a bit.  The cherries soak up the balsamic.

So, can eating one of these kale salads help you feel happy, healthy and hot?  Well of course!  I mean, why else would I be blogging about it?  You will be happy you have a delicious salad (and happy you didn’t waste your precious time massaging the kale!)  No matter which salad you choose to make, the ingredients are very healthy.  Kale is extremely nutrient dense, and is a great source of fiber, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin K, iron and sulfur. As I’ve mentioned in multiple posts, vitamin C is crucial for skin health.  And sulfur supports healthy hair, skin and nails.  So you’ll be hot too!