Kale Salad

One of my favorite things about summertime is all the fresh fruits and veggies that are in season. This past spring we tried our hand at growing a few and the only thing that survived was our basil. (#maybenextyear) So until my thumb turns green, I love going to the farmer's market. We were thoroughly spoiled for weeks by friends with dinner practically every single night after Parker was born, so it was kind of a shock to be responsible for cooking and grocery shopping again :)

I love to make new meals, and guess whether or not they'll turn our like the recipes describe them. As just about everyone with access to the internet knows, kale is the new(ish) superfood. So when I saw it super cheap at the farmer's market I got some. I've tried kale chips before and they were pretty good, but I generally try to steer clear of the oven in the summer (except of course for the deliciousness that is zucchini bread. or cookies. or brownies. you know, the important things #priorities). We added some to our morning smoothies (we usually just use spinach) and it was a little too strong for my sweet tooth family's taste. So when I came across a recipe for melt in your mouth kale salad, I decided to give it a shot.

Surprisingly, it turned out delicious. This was seriously the perfect salad for summer. It was light and refreshing, and honestly I couldn't tell it was kale. A couple things to note though: I only used half a lemon, and it was still border line too lemony. I'd recommend adding the lemon last, and tasting as you go until you get it how you like it. Fresh parm is pricey. So i used the pre-grated. Definitely lost health points, but cest la vie. Lastly pine nuts are also pricey. However, they totally make the salad. Don't skip out on those, just try not to eat them all before you're done making the salad.

Bon Appetit!

Source

Melt in Your Mouth Kale Salad (adapted from Food Babe)

You'll Need:

• 1 bunch of kale rinsed and patted dry
• 1/3 C currants or chopped raisins (I used raisins)
• juice of one lemon (see note above)
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 t local honey
• 1/2 C pine nuts toasted
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 T freshly grated parm cheese (see note above)

Directions:

1. In a food processor, chop up kale
2. Make Dressing: stir honey, olive oil, s & p, and lemon juice in a bowl
3. Add kale, currants/raisins, pine nuts, and parm to the bowl with dressing
4. Toss and Serve