Today let’s make – Garlic Kale Salad
This is my FAVOURITE salad at the moment. I’ve been making it almost every day for either lunch or dinner. The most important step is to massage your kale, yes, massage the leaves with olive oil to bring out a rich nutty flavor. It makes a HUGE difference trust me. The first time I had a massaged kale salad at my mother-in-law’s and, no joke, it changed my life…or the way I perceived kale anyways.
I always liked the idea of kale but never found a way to prepare it in salads in a way that I liked. Until two summers ago when I grew red Russian kale in my garden and learned that all of the different varieties yield different flavor profiles. Some are tougher in texture and need a little extra attention, in the form of a massage before eating them as a salad.
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History of Kale–
Kale originated in the eastern Mediterranean and Asia Minor, where it was cultivated for food starting no later than 2000 BCE. Curly-leaved varieties of cabbage already existed along with flat-leaved varieties in Greece in the 4th century BC. These forms, which were referred to by the Romans as Sabellian kale, are considered to be the ancestors of modern kales.
The earliest record of cabbages in western Europe is of hard-heading cabbage in the 13th century. Records in 14th-century England distinguish between hard-heading cabbage and loose-leaf kale.
Russian kale was introduced into Canada, and then into the United States, by Russian traders in the 19th century. USDA botanist David Fairchild is credited with introducing kale (and many other crops) to Americans, having brought it back from Croatia. At the time, kale was widely grown in Croatia mostly because it was easy to grow and inexpensive, and could desalinate soil. For most of the twentieth century, kale was primarily used in the United States for decorative purposes; it became more popular as an edible vegetable in the 1990s due to its nutritional value.
During World War II, the cultivation of kale in the U.K. was highly encouraged. The vegetable was easy to grow and provided important nutrients missing from a diet because of rationing.
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Garlic Kale Salad
Equipment
- 1 large mixing bowl
- measuring cups & spoons
Ingredients
- 2-4 cups kale
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1-2 cloves fresh minced garlic
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup pepitas (optional)
- 1 tsp orange or lemon zest (optional)
Instructions
- wash and prepare kale into bite-sized pieces
- add olive oil and salt to kale in a large mixing bowl and massage your kale for about 1 minute until leaves become tender
- add apple cider vinegar, minced garlic, parmesan cheese, black pepper, pepitas, and citrus zest if using, and mix until combined
- serve with your favorite protein
