Kale Cranberry and Pine Nut Salad

Salad

INGREDIENTS

·         1/4 cup dried sweetened cranberries, chopped (or whole golden raisins or currants)

·         1/3 cup pine nuts (can substitute slivered almonds)

·         1 pound fresh Lacinato kale (also called Tuscan kale or dinosaur kale), about 2-3 bunches, rinsed and patted dry

·         1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

·         3 Tbsp olive oil

·         1 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar

·         1 Tbsp honey

·         1 teaspoon salt

·         1/2 teaspoon pepper

·         1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, packed

METHOD

1 Heat a small skilled on medium high heat. Spread the pine nuts in an even layer on the bottom of the pan, cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Then remove to a bowl to allow to cool.  Hint when toasting nuts: do not take your eyes off of them! Nuts can go from browned to burned very quickly.

2 Use a sharp knife to cut out the tough midrib of each kale leaf, and discard or compost. Slice the leaves crosswise into thin, 1/4 inch wide, slices.  The easiest way to do this is to work with a small bunch of leaves at a time, stack the leaves and roll them into a loose cigar shape. Then using a sharp knife, work from one end of the "cigar" to the other, slicing a 1/4 inch off from the end.  Place the kale slices into a large bowl.

3 In a smaller bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, rice vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper.   A half hour to an hour before serving, toss the kale together with the toasted pine nuts, the dried cranberries, and the dressing, allowing the kale to marinate a bit.  Right before serving, stir in the grated Parmesan cheese.

Submitted by: Leslie E.