On Wednesday, a friend took me to lunch to a restaurant that I had heard was good but had not been to. The selection on the menu was great but I decided to try something new. A kale Caesar salad.
I did not know what to expect and all I kept hearing in my head was my late grand mother saying she does not want warmed greens. My grandmother would not eat any leafy greens if there was still any hint of green in them. When cooking for her you had to cook them until they were brown so whenever she visited that is what we all ate. Sounds unhealthy but she lived to more than a hundred so it worked for her. I was nervous because my lunch would be spoilt if I did not like the salad. I sometimes find it difficult to try something new especially when it is something I have been eating my whole life in a certain way. It is a lot easier for me to try something when it is served on a buffet. That way I can take a little to try without committing to it. I ate the kale and I LOVED IT! The kale was fresh and crispy. It was not what I had expected. When I go home I am going to make mother try to eat a kale salad. It is going to be funny. My mother will try but I am sure my father will not even touch the plate.
It also made me think that this dish would be perfect in Zimbabwe where there are power cuts on a daily basis and most people have access to a similar vegetable to kale and you can add any toppings that you want.
To prepare the kale remove the rib and cut it into bite size pieces. To make the kale sweet you need to massage it in lemon juice and salt for about five minutes.
From this you can choose any toppings of your choice. I wanted roasted butternut squash and blueberries. I made a homemade dressing, tossed everything together and was ready to eat.
Kale, Blueberry and Butternut Squash Salad
Ingredients
- 1 chopped butternut squash
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 bunch kale
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
-
1
cup
blueberries
Dressing - 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1/4 cup mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 400F. Place the squash on a baking tray and drizzle olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake the butternut squash for 30 minutes. Leave to cool.
-
Make the dressing by mixing all the dressing ingredients.
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Remove the stalk from the kale and cut into bite sizes and put in a bowl. Sprinkle lemon juice and salt; massage for about 5 minutes.
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Add butternut squash and blueberries and toss together with the dressing.