Julia Child is reported to have said, "I was 32 when I started cooking; up until then, I just ate." For me, I was 30. While I have always loved food, cooking was something I feared, disliked, and avoided until motherhood compelled me to overcome my feelings and, in spite of myself, I found I began to enjoy trying new recipes, creating tasty meals, and sharing them with others. These are the adventures of my learning to love something that overwhelmed and intimidated me for far too long. I hope you will enjoy (and perhaps benefit from) the tales of a reluctant cook!

Thursday, August 28, 2014

The Best Kale Salad You'll Ever Eat- Courtesy of Leslie Graff (originally posted June 2, 2014)


This last weekend, I had the incredible privilege of attending a painting workshop led by the phenomenal Caitlin Connolly (check her work out here: http://caitlinconnolly.com/)

In addition to learning a TON, I also got to enjoy great food and great company. Aside from the art-making, one of the highlights of the conference was trying a remarkably delicious kale salad, created by another talented artist, Leslie Graff (check her stuff out here: http://www.lesliegraff.com/)
I do enjoy kale, but because of its sometimes bitter taste, I tend not to go heavy on it in salads. I might throw it in with other greens, but I have never thought to make it the main ingredient. Until I ate Leslie’s delicious concoction.

This salad is JAM-PACKED with nutrients, but it is so tasty, you won’t want to stop packing it into your mouth! I didn’t, anyway :)The vinagrette is the key. It is a wonderful combination of sweet and tangy, and the fresh lemon juice and lemon zest make it one of the most refreshing tasting recipes I’ve had in a while.

Please enjoy:

Leslie Graff’s Kale Salad-
(ad lib amounts of ingredients, as desired)

Ingredients:
chopped kale
pine nuts
craisins
bacon
parmesan cheese
chopped apple
purple onion

Dressing (THIS WAS THE KEY!):
(Serves 7-8)
juice of one lemon
lemon zest (less than half of lemon)
1 T red wine vinegar
2 t honey
3 T white sugar
2 T olive oil
1/2 t salt

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