Raw Kale Salad with Cheese, Lemon Juice and Garlic

Lacinto kale, lemon juice, garlic, parmesan, olive oil, crushed red pepper

Our Garrick's a salad; for in him we see, Oil, vinegar, sugar and saltiness agree. ~Oliver Goldsmith

I saw a recipe for kale salad in the New York Times two years ago that looked so delicious and easy, I never forgot about it. For two years. I never made it, but I never forgot about it. Then my friend Gillian had a lovely dinner party, and she served the same raw kale salad! Her husband refuses to eat vegetables, but he finished more than one serving of the salad. That's how good it is.

One big bonus is that this tasty salad features the "superfood" kale, which is rich in phytochemicals and supposedly helps prevent cancer. The lemon juice in this recipe makes the kale sparkle. If you are trying to avoid pesticides, you will want to buy organic kale since it is high on the "Dirty Dozen" list.

Recipes generally call for lacinto ("dinosaur") kale, but Gillian makes it with any kind of kale. She used green kale when I had it, and it was delicious!

Raw Kale Salad with Parmesan, Lemon and Olive Oil

Adapted from NYT recipe and Gillian

Serves 4

1 bunch of kale (lacinto, green, whatever)
Handful of currants or craisins (optional)
1/2 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (NYT calls for pecorino)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Salt and pepper

1. Trim bottom 2 inches off kale and save for your vegetable juice (or compost).
2. Slice the remaining kale into strips about 3/4 inch wide and place in a salad bowl. Add currants or craisins.
3. Smash the garlic with your knife and place in a bowl. Squeeze the lemon juice into the bowl as well. Combine it with the olive oil, cheese, crushed red pepper. Salt and pepper to taste.
4. Toss kale with dressing and make sure all the leaves are wet.

Enjoy!

What I ate: Whole Foods plain yogurt + strawberries + blueberries, 16 oz. cafe au lait, Mindful Mix, spinach + roasted beets + radish sprouts + chopped egg + tomato salad, soy nuts, bread, seaweed salad, California roll, rainbow roll, fried rice, wasabi mashed potatoes, creamed spinach, 60 oz. water

Exercise: 1 hour yoga