Kale Salad

Preface:

This kale salad and its many variations was exceedingly popular at Camp Tantré this past summer. It has become my favorite salad ever. I figured since the whole point of farming is food I should share some recipes from time to time.

Following recipes is for squares. They should be used as guidelines for proportions and possibly as instructions for new preparation techniques. I encourage you to add new ingredients and omit ingredients you don’t have on hand or don’t like. Make it your own creation.

Ingredients:

Veggies

            2 bunches kale – any variety (Red Russian is my favorite)

            1 bunch carrots

            1 bunch beets any variety with greens

            1 bunch turnips with greens

Extras

            ¼ cup chopped walnuts

            Seeds from one pomegranate

Dressing

            ¼ cup olive oil

            ¼ cup apple cider vinegar

            Splash of soy sauce

            Juice from 1 lime

            1 tsp cumin

Instructions:

Wash kale and slice into relatively thin strips. Mix ingredients for dressing together in a small bowl or mug. Pour dressing over kale in a big bowl and massage the kale with your hands. Make sure the kale is thoroughly coated in dressing. This is a messy, groping endeavor and possibly the most fun and critical part of making kale salad.

Grate the carrots, beet roots and turnips, add to the kale mixture. The turnip greens and beet greens should be chopped to bite-sized pieces with any stem-y parts removed. Add the greens to the kale mixture and gently incorporate – these greens are much more delicate than kale. Top the salad off with your extras.

Variations:

You could also use – spinach, collards, tat soi, arugula, rutabaga, leeks, cranberries, green apples, peanuts, almonds, cashews, white vinegar, balsamic vinegar, lemon, oregano and pretty much anything else you can think of.