Tuesday, April 12, 2016

K is for... Kale, Brussel Sprout, and Frosted Cranberry Salad


Kale, like brussel sprouts, is one of those things I didn't like at first. And then, suddenly, it was a favorite and a staple.  Add it to soup, mix it in a warm salad with potatoes, or stir it into mashed potatoes (colchannon). Eat it plain with a vinaigrette and a dash of vinegar.  Load it down with all your favorite salad toppings. Bake it with oil into kale chips. So many possibilities.  For today, I am just going to reprise a kale salad we posted here back in February of 2015.  

This particular kale salad was from a Christmas dinner. Mom Quiltpeaces probably has the exact recipe written down, but since I neglected to check with her in a timely fashion,  the general gist is to take the shredded kale and brussel sprouts and mix with your vinaigrette of choice, massaging it into the leaves as you mix, and then let sit for 20 to 30 minutes. (Since I was in on eating the salad, the vinaigrette was probably very basic - olive oil, appple cider vinegar, a bit of salt, and a bit of sugar.)  Add some freshly shredded Parmesan and a sprinkling of frosted cranberries, and you have a simple, festive, and quite tasty salad.  Craisins would probably work pretty well too, but the frosted cranberries add a touch of elegance.  For this particular salad, the kale had been fresh picked from under the overnight snow.  Looking forward to trying to grow it in my own garden later this summer.

Here's a link on how to make frosted cranberries if you haven't tried them before. The cranberries are quite addictive all on their own.  Sparkling Cranberries

What about you? Do you have a favorite recipe or way to eat kale?

5 comments:

  1. Haven't tried Kale yet, but that's because it is not normally grown in India. If imported, I'm not sure if we get fresh kale. But I could definitely try the kale chips. Are they bitter?
    Also, thank you for putting up recipes of salads, weight loss this summer is my goal.
    [@samantha_rjsdr] from
    Whimsical Compass

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    1. If you have any space in your backyard, perhaps try growing kale. I think a lot of store bought vegetables do not taste good. After having homegrown tomatoes, it is so hard to find flavorful store bought tomatoes, unless you want to buy a large amount of money.

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    2. I hope you get the chance sometime! It can be a little bit of an acquired taste. Depending on your weather, like J Hanna suggested it grows really well and seems to survive several frosts if my moms kale patch under snow is anything to go by. In fact, I think our winter may have been mild enough she never actually stopped harvesting and it is still going strong.

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  2. I enjoy kale, and I think it definitely can be used many different ways. I am thinking about buying some for the next hummus salad I want to make. I enjoy making hummus, but use less tahini than the pre-packaged kind. Then I can drench my salad in the homemade hummus, which adds flavor, and no worrying about how much to put on. It is just chickpea, chili powder, garlic, lemon juice, sometimes tomatoes/and or cucumbers pureed with a bit of tahini.

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