Cooking Local: Spring Kale

Text, recipe and photos by Greta Hardin

Spring is here, and kale never left us. With those hearty leaves and that bit of waxy coating, kale over-winters like a champ with very little winter shelter. So while we are waiting for the real goodies of the growing season, make a few delicious things with kale.

As a leafy green, kale is a natural in soup and salad. The important bit is getting the right kale for the right job.

Two different kinds of kale

The kale on the left is red curly kale, on the left is the much loved black or Lacinato kale. The curly kale benefits from some sort of cooking (or is juiced), and is aggressively spiky and waxy when eaten raw. Black/Lacinato kale, while a bit tough, has a much smoother leaf and is tasty raw or cooked.

This week I’ll be dealing with the smooth kales (also includes Russian kale or any variety that lies flat), check back next week for what to do with the curly stuff. Don’t worry, it will last that long in your fridge.

If you are new to kale, do not neglect these two steps to bring out kales’ best; strip it off the stems and cut it up small. These are small things, like cleaning the sand out of clams, that transform them from odd edible curiosities to tasty food.

Strip the leaves off the stems

One problem with making a fresh salad every night is that the best ones are "a little of this - a little of that" and on busy evenings that can be one thing too many.

The hearty nature of kale makes it the perfect base for a multi-night salad. In fact, this salad is great for setting up on a Sunday evening, throwing together on Monday night - and then eating for another night or two because kale doesn't go soggy and sad the way lettuces do. Done right, the end of the salad can go into cooked grains for a hearty side dish or anchor a healthy lunch at the end.

‘Sunday Night Set-Up’ Kale Salad

Ingredients:

• Kale - 1 bunch
• Green onions - 1 bunch (or a shallot)
• Craisins, Raisins or other dried fruit cut a similar size - a generous handful
• Nuts - hazelnuts or almonds or peanuts or sunflower seeds - a generous handful
• Celery Stalk - 1
• Lemon - 1
• Mustard 1 Tbs (Dijon or grainy - your choice)
• Tasty Oil  - 2 Tbs ("good" olive oil, avocado oil, something that tastes great)
• Salt and Pepper

Ingredients for Sunday Salad

Equipment:

• Salad spinner / kitchen towels
• Knife
• Cutting board
• Small container with tight fitting lid
• Large salad bowl
• Servers
• Plastic wrap or other cover if keeping overnight.

Prep:

1. Pull the kale off the stems (hold firmly at the thick end with one hand and strip the leaf off the stem with the other.
2. Give the leaves a good bath, the spin dry/pat dry.
3. Stack the leaves and slice them thinly, along with the green onions/shallots and celery as well. Place these in the salad bowl.
4. Cut the lemon in half, squeeze all the juice on the kale and sliced vegetables, along with ¼ to ½ tsp of salt. Toss well, cover and place in the fridge until Monday (the next) night.
5. In the small container mix the tasty oil, mustard, a few pinches of pepper and Crasins. Place next to the salad.

Optional – toast your nuts. I like to add a little oil and keep them moving in a sauté pan. You can also place them on foil in a toaster oven at 350˚F for 5 – 10 minutes, but you HAVE to keep an eye on them. Let these cool and place in a container for salad night.

Serving:

• On salad night, shake the Craisins and nuts in the oil – mustard mixture.  Pour it on the salad and toss. Taste. Adjust the salt and pepper.
• Enjoy!

Cover and refrigerate any leftovers, they will still be crunchy the next day for lunch or dinner.

Please do alter this salad as you go – add different vegetables, use other vinegars instead of or in addition to the lemon juice. Add croutons, or top with a soft boiled egg. This is just a beginning.

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Starting Saturday Jun 14th - October 4th

The Shoreline Farmers Market will be at Shoreline City Hall

Top level of the Parking Structure (Free Parking underneath)

17500 Midvale Ave N, Shoreline

Starting Sunday May 11th - October 26th

The Lake Forest Park Farmers Market will be at Third Place Commons

Lower Level Parking Lot (Free Parking in surrounding spots)

17171 Bothell Way NE, Lake Forest Park

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Greta Hardin is a science teacher, food nerd, and the author of Cooking Your Local Produce: A cookbook for tackling Farmers Markets, CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) and your own back yard.