Kale Salad

A few years ago, everyone started talking about kale.  It was healthy! It was awesome!  It cured cancer!  You’d have to be an idiot not to eat kale!  So, being an idiot, I bought some kale.  I bought the curly kind of kale, and cooked it the way I frequently cook leafy greens; sautéed in a pan with some garlic and red pepper flakes.  When it looked done, I tried some.   It tasted like a box of hair.    That finished me for kale for quite some time. 

Until a couple of months ago.  I was in my fruit and vegetable place, and I saw something on sale that looked gorgeous.  Dusty green leaves with a lacey pattern.  The sign said “Tuscan kale.”  And, since the whole bunch only cost $1.99, I went for it.

Why in god’s name don’t people differentiate between Tuscan kale and the other kind of kale?  Tuscan kale tastes absolutely nothing like hair.   It’s great sautéed, alongside some chicken or fish, but it’s positively addictive raw, with a lemony vinaigrette, a blizzard of parmesan cheese and some crunchy croutons.

The secret to this salad is to dress it generously, and early.  Unlike most salads, this one tastes better when the vinaigrette really soaks into the kale, so I usually try to slice the kale (thinly) and dress it a few hours before serving, and then throw in the croutons and parmesan at the last minute.

One last word about croutons.  You can buy them, of course, but if you have some leftover baguette going stale on you, it’s so easy to make them, and they will taste much, much better than anything you can buy.  Plus, it’s a neat way to recycle stale bread.  And, they freeze well!

KALE SALAD

1 bunch of kale, washed and dried

1 lemon

¼ cup best olive oil

3 Tbsps good quality parmesan cheese

½ stale baguette

2-3 Tbsps regular olive oil

salt and pepper

A few hours before you plan on serving the salad, whisk together the juice of the lemon (you should get about 3 Tbsps from the lemon), salt and pepper and the best-quality olive oil.  Thinly slice the kale into strips (it should look almost like a slaw), and toss with some of the lemon vinaigrette, until the kale looks moist.  Set everything aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut the stale baguette into cubes and throw onto a cookie sheet.  Season with salt and pepper and toss with some regular olive oil.  Bake until the croutons are crunchy, about 5-10 minutes, and set aside.

When you are ready to serve the salad, grate the parmesan cheese over the kale, top with the croutons, and serve.

 Serves two.