Superstar Kale Salad

By Linda Anusasananan
For The Family Table, a blog for busy families

I love the farmers' market. Today I found three bunches of kale for $5.

Bunches of curly green, Red Russian, and laciniato kale beckoned with their freshness. Since I wanted to use the kale raw, I tasted the leaves and chose the most tender and mild: the dark green laciniato with long, narrow leaves and a pebbly texture.

Once shunned, kale is the new superstar of greens, noted for its high concentration of antioxidant vitamins A, C and K. Often used for soups and long-cooked preparations, people are discovering creative ways to use this healthy green.

I like to use this cool-weather vegetable for a winter salad. Kale has a slight bitterness and a thicker, heartier texture than lettuce. But when the leaves are briefly massaged with a vinaigrette, they turn supple and tender.

In this salad, a lemony dressing tenderizes the leaves. Sweet dried cranberries, crisp apples, toasted nuts and crumbles of salty feta cheese lace the glossy greens with a lively contrast of textures and flavors The tart dressing and the addition of sweet fruit mellows the green's bitterness. Unlike fragile lettuce salads, this hearty kale salad stands up to time and abuse. You can mix the greens with the dressing up to 1 hour ahead. Even leftover salad holds up well, although nuts will get soggy as they stand.

To get the recipe and shopping list on your smartphone (iPhone, BlackBerry, Android device) or PC, click here.

Lemony Kale Salad with Apple and Nuts

Note: When grating the lemon, use only the outer (yellow) portion of the peel. Avoid the white pith, which is bitter.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

1 pound young laciniato kale (also called dinosaur, Cavolo Nero, Tuscan, or black kale)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
1 small apple, cored and cut in 1/2-inch cubes
1/3 cup dried cranberries or raisins
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds

1. Wash the kale, drain well, and pat off excess water with paper towels. Tear the thick center ribs from leaves and discard. Stack a few leaves, roll lengthwise into a cigar shape and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch wide strips. Repeat to make about 16 cups total.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the oil, lemon peel, lemon juice, sugar and salt to taste. Add the kale and with your hands, mix and massage the kale with the dressing until the leaves are completely glossy. You can cover and chill the salad up to 1 hour before continuing.
3. Add the apple, cranberries, cheese and nuts and toss lightly together.

Recipe by Linda Lau Anusasananan

Linda Lau Anusasananan is the author of The Hakka Cookbook, Chinese Soul Food from around the World. She was formerly Recipe Editor and a food writer at Sunset Magazine for 34 years. Her work has also appeared in Cooking Light, Flavor and Fortune and Yoga Journal.

Special Fork is a recipe website for your smartphone and PC that solves the daily dinnertime dilemma: what to cook now! Our bloggers blog Monday through Friday to give you cooking inspiration. Check out our recipe database for quick ideas that take no more than 30 minutes of prep time. Follow us on Facebook , Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube.

Related posts:

1. Melon and Prosciutto Salad
2. A Simple Fall Salad
3. The First Salad of the Season
4. Panzanella, a Salad to Celebrate Summer
5. Shaved Raw Beet Salad