SHREDDED KALE SALAD WITH TOMATOES, OLIVES + FETA

shredded kale salad . sprouted kitchen

I have spent recent years hating olives. I remember liking them a long time ago. I have memories of taco nights when we were younger. My sister and I would drain cans of black pitted olives and stick them on our finger tips. We'd prance around being fancy, pointing to things for the mere reason of showing our gaudy olive fingertips, like they were big acrylic nails. We got to snacking them off long before tacos were finished. I know those aren't olives in their most natural state, but I don't know when I decided to dislike them. I always order to leave them off a dish at a restaurant, would never touch them on a cheese plate and surely have never purchased a jar until recently. They just have such a strong flavor, and I am one for sweet over salty, so things like olives and chips are not foods I crave. And no, it was not a gradual warming up to them at all, as I suppose happens when people grow out of their food aversions. One day I was so famished for lunch that when I got a salad with olives in it, my hunger would not cease at my pickiness. I ate them because I was too hungry not to, and the rest is history. I am not going to go as far to say I love them or anything, but there isn't a single recipe on this site that has an olive in it, so for those of you who are big fans, this is there official inaguration into the sprouted kitchen. A peace offering of a very simple and lovely kale salad.

I have a few tips for the kale haters in your life. I mentioned them at a cooking class recently, so best I document them here as well. First off, you must remove the tough stem. Don't just go chopping the entire leaf up. The stems have a very tough texture and are quite bitter, so cut out the stem and stick with the leaves. If you purchase a bag of the pre-chopped stuff, take a few minutes to pull out the stem chunks. It is worth it. If you can't do full raw kale salads, cut a salad with half of a more tender lettuce. Hugh isn't the biggest fan, so our green salads are often times half well chopped kale and half baby lettuces or butter lettuce or romaine. For this recipe, I chopped the kale up so small you could eat this salad with a soup spoon. The tiny bits are more tender in your mouth and mix well with the other salad goodies, so chop away for small pieces. When all of that fails in the way of raw kale, having it cooked and mixed into an enchilada filling, vegetable egg scramble, soup, etc. doesn't seem to elicit as harsh a reaction.

shredded kale salad . sprouted kitchen

SHREDDED KALE SALAD WITH TOMATOES, OLIVES + FETA // Serves 2 to 4

Inspired by Deborah Madison's Vegetable Literacy

I feel like this salad is a great canvas for little changes to fit your fancy. It would be nice with a fresh torn crouton, maybe a grilled protein of choice to make it a more filling meal, or I've added some cooked black lentils. If you find yourself with salad responsibilities for a summer dinner party, this would hold up well, even dressed in advance, and could sit for awhile without getting wilty.

• 8-10 large Tuscan/Lacinato/Red Kale Leaves
• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt and fresh ground pepper
• 3 Tbsp. fresh dill and/or mint
• 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• 2-3 ounces sheeps milk feta
• few handfuls of sun gold or other baby tomatoes, halved
• 1/3 cup pitted and chopped olives, kalamata or other favorite
• 1/4 of a red onion, minced

shredded kale salad . sprouted kitchen

Pull or cut the kale away from the stems. Work in batches and slice them into thin ribbons (alternatively, just go at it with a chop to get teesy pieces). Put the kale in a large salad bowl. Drizzle in 1 Tbsp. of the oil, salt, pepper and roughly rip up the dill/mint with your hands and add that in too. Massage the kale with your hands to soften the leaves until they glisten. In a small dish, mix together the remaining oil, vinegar, mustard and red pepper flakes to combine. Pour it over the kale and toss to coat. Crumble in the feta, add the tomatoes, olives and red onion and toss again. Add more of whatever you wish to taste.

Because kale is pretty sturdy, I find this salad can keep covered in the fridge for a day or two. Totally worth making a double batch.

shredded kale salad . sprouted kitchen

MACHE + PEACH SALAD WITH JALAPEÑO VINAIGRETTE

peach & mache salad . sprouted kitchen

"Have patience with everything that remains unresolved in your heart. Try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don’t search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer."

-Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to A Young Poet

Living the questions. I love the image of "living everything" (thank you, Sarah, for sharing this quote with me!). I want to keep moving when fear paralyzes me. When big decisions seem too big, or I seem stuck or defeated within them before I've even truly lived them through - before I've lived my way to the answer. As someone who assumes the outcome of circumstances before they actually play out, I need to be doing a lot less projecting and choosing more joy in the process. Oh, the process. But I love answers! Anyway, wanted to pass on the quote to you too.

It's been overcast and humid over here, so the 4th celebrations may not be as sunny and glorious as we hope for. Regardless of the sunshine, there will be a beach, friends, a BBQ and a weekend with both work and family. Because I am always "the salad girl" I made a big batch of this dressing to have on hand for all the get togethers. I am a fan of the salad construction below. It is a perfect use of all those ripe peaches this time of year, a bit of heft from the lentils and avocado and a spicy yet slightly creamy dressing. I have not burn out on my good quality sheeps feta phase, so I couldn't help myself here either. We used mache for a tender texture that wouldn't compete with the peaches, but the lettuce choice isn't strict here.

Wishing you all a nice holiday weekend. May there be fresh and tasty salads between all the bbq's and chips!

peach & mache salad . sprouted kitchen

peach & mache salad . sprouted kitchen

MACHE + PEACH SALAD WITH JALAPENO VINAIGRETTE // Serves 4-6 as a side

Dressing recipe inspired from Bon Appetite

I doubled the dressing because I like to keep extras on hand. It was great drizzled on some grilled vegetables and livened up a bowl of quinoa. You could halve everything if you want just enough for one or two salads. I added creme fraiche to the original because I prefer things a little creamy, but a vegan version would be fine without, or even substitute some vegan mayonaise. 

• 1/2 cup tangerine or orange juice
• 1 jalapeno
• 1 shallot
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• generous handful of fresh cilantro
• 2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. creme fraiche 

• 6 cups mache or tender green of choice
• 1/2 cup micro greens
• 2 avocado, cubed
• 2 peaches, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup cooked lentils (French or Black hold up well)
• 2 oz. / 1/3 cup crumbled sheep's milk feta, optional 

peach & mache salad . sprouted kitchen

Simmer tangerine/orange juice in a small saucepan over medium heat until reduced to roughly 3 Tbsp., about 8 minutes. Let cool.

Cook jalapeno, turning occasionally until blistered and charred all over. About 8 minutes. I did this over the stove, you could use the grill or even a toaster oven to scorch that guy. Let cool, remove stem, skin, seeds and finely chop. In a small blender or food processor, pulse together the reduced juice, seeded jalapeno, shallot, salt, cilantro, vinegar, oil and creme fraiche. This can be done by hand if you like things chunky. The dressing can be made in advance and kept covered in the fridge for up to a week. Note that it may get a bit stronger in flavor and spice over time.

To assemble the salad, toss the greens, half the avocado, lentils and peach slices in desired amount of the dressing. Finish the salad with remaining ingredients on top, and crumble the feta to finish. Serve immediately.

peach & mache salad . sprouted kitchen