Simple Kale Salad

One of the reasons I really enjoy having a farm share is that it pushes me to eat foods I would normally avoid because I’m not familiar with how to treat them, or I’ve had a bad experience, or they’re just not on my radar. Kale’s definitely on my radar — it was THE thing to eat before cauliflower and after toasts, I think, right? But I have definitely had some bad experiences with it (steaming and smoothies come to mind) and I haven’t really dug into the right way to prepare it with confidence.

Cut to four weeks of enormous kale bunches from the farm share and me standing in my kitchen with a question mark over my head. As we enter autumn, I see that kale is going to need to enter my repertoire.

I found an abundance of kale salad recipes that I’ve riffed on and hybridized here to create a very simple and delicious salad. The kale is destemmed and sliced finely into a slaw, which mitigates the fibrousness of the leaf. The dressing leans heavily on acid, which helps the tough leaf break down, and the bright lemon and sharp garlic flavors stand up to the kale. Pine nuts add crunch and, of course, a shower of parmigiano reggiano adds umami deliciousness.

I have found this to be quite filling on its own, but I’ve also been serving it frequently with this gazpacho as a no-cook meal solution.

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Simple Kale Salad

Servings: 2 large salads || Time: 15 minutes || Source: many many kale salad recipes

• Lemon - 1

• Olive oil - 1/2 cup

• Garlic - 1

• Pine nuts - 2 tbsp

• Kale - 1 bunch, washed

• Parmesan (Parmigiano-Reggiano)

Over a small bowl, zest the lemon. Slice and squeeze the lemon juice into the same bowl. Add a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk in about 1/3 cup of the olive oil, pouring slowly so that it emulsifies. Taste - the lemon flavor should be sharp, but not pucker-your-lips tart. Whisk in more olive oil as needed to reduce tartness and round out the dressing. Crush and peel the garlic clove and add to dressing (no need to chop; you’ll remove this before serving). Set aside to let the garlic infuse into the dressing.

Toast pine nuts in a small, dry skillet over medium-low heat. Keep a close eye and shake the pan from time to time to toast evenly and avoid burning. You’ll be able to smell them as they release oils and start to toast. Once toasted, remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Remove the tough parts of the stems from the kale leaves by slicing along the rib with a sharp knife. There’s no need to remove the smaller, more tender stems at the top of the leaves. Pile kale leaves on top of each other and slice thinly across the leaf to create strips, something like a kale slaw. This doesn’t need to be perfect.

Place kale slaw in a large bowl. Grate up to half a cup of Parmesan over the kale. Scatter pine nuts over the top, then toss ingredients together to mix. Remove garlic cloves from dressing and drizzle over the kale, reserving a couple of tablespoons. Toss the salad together; add more dressing if needed.

Serve, topped with more parmesan if desired.

White Bean Bruschetta

Hello -- my name’s Marisa, I live in NYC with my partner and our new-ish baby girl (born in December!). I’m starting this blog to document our adventures in cooking and eating, two of my very favorite activities.

It’s been challenging to get back into cooking following the birth of our little one, but I’ve always found cooking to be a rewarding (read: delicious) and mostly relaxing activity. I also really believe in being close to your food - knowing where it comes from and the people who grow it, if you can. That’s easier to do when it’s not winter, of course.

I’m excited to start with a simple dish that we love from a sadly defunct but formerly lovely West Village restaurant, Pó. Pó was one of Mario Batali’s first restaurants — despite his other proclivities, he does know how to cook. In typical NYC style, it was a tiny, cozy spot that put out delicious Italian food. Delightfully, one of the best things they served was actually free.

This white bean bruschetta, studded with zingy sliced garlic and red pepper flakes, came to the table gratis. It was a mouth-watering way to start a meal and, as it turns out, not too difficult to make at home. I really like that it’s versatile -- simple enough for an any-night appetizer using mostly pantry items, impressive enough for guests, and easily scaled for a big group. This will be tasty no matter what, but I like to splurge on fresh, good quality olive oil and aged balsamic to make this extra.

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White Bean Bruschetta from Pó (RIP)

Yield: 12 pieces || Time: 20 minutes || Source: Pó

• Cannellini beans (white kidney beans) - 1 can, drained & well rinsed

• Extra virgin olive oil - 3 tablespoons

• Balsamic vinegar - 2 tablespoons

• Red pepper flakes - 1/2 teaspoon or to taste

• Basil leaves - 2 tablespoons, chopped*

• Garlic - 2 cloves, thinly sliced or finely chopped

• Salt and pepper

• Baguette, sliced ½” thick

In a medium bowl, put the rinsed beans, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, red pepper flakes, basil, and garlic. Gently combine - I like to use my hands. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let it sit in the refrigerator for a few hours to marinate and let the flavors come together.

Slice the baguette. Serve the bread with the bowl of the bean mixture, or spoon the bean mixture on ahead of time if you want to get fancy. If you do put the beans on the bread to serve, consider toasting the bread so it doesn’t get soggy (in an oven at 325°F for 5-10 minutes).

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*Although it makes no difference to how it tastes, basil is beautiful when it’s thinly sliced, aka chiffonade. To do it, pile a number of basil leaves on top of each other, then tightly roll the pile so you have a long thin roll. Slice thinly along the bundle of basil and you’ll get elegant ribbons!