Kale and Apple Salad

It occurs to me that I haven’t shared nearly enough kale recipes with you, especially given my love for this goddess of leafy greens. New varieties of kale recipes are emerging and I am delighted to see kale slipping into the spotlight.

Let me sing kale’s praises! Toss it into soups and stews during the last few minutes of simmering, sauté and top with a poached egg, enhance your pizzas or roast some kale chips. Combined with grains, legumes or root veggies it makes a hearty salad, side dish or meal. And kale happens to be a nutrition powerhouse - rich in vitamins A, C and K plus fiber, calcium and iron. But I digress from how good kale tastes ...

Our local Puget Consumers Coop makes an incredible kale salad that I adore ... I’ve eaten pounds and pounds of it over the past few years and love every bite. I have to admit I can’t think of a kale salad that I haven’t enjoyed, but what I particularly like about this one is the addition of wild rice with its nutty flavor and chewy texture.

Inspired by this salad, I created one at home that’s ideal for winter with crisp apples, fennel and red cabbage. The sweetness of the apple pairs well with fennel. Red cabbage provides a pop of color against the vibrant, rich green of the raw kale, making it a pretty salad in addition to being delicious. A bright, citrusy dressing pulls all these fresh flavors together nicely. And kale salad stands the test of time – it won’t wilt like more delicate salad greens – which makes it ideal to prepare ahead. I must say, I feel very virtuous eating this salad!

I’m not the only one who can’t resist kale ...

Kale and Apple Salad
Inspired by PCC’s Emerald City Salad
Serves 4-6

1/4 – 1/2 cup lemon juice (depending upon taste and amount of kale)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 large crisp apple, diced (my favorite variety is honeycrisp)
3/4 cup fennel, thinly sliced and chopped
1 cup red cabbage, chopped
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1 bunch organic kale (lacinato or curly green – I like to use a combination of both), ribs removed and finely chopped
1 cup cooked wild rice

Whisk 1/2 cup lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and salt in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients to the bowl and toss (use your hands – it’s fun and will distribute the dressing more evenly). Taste for additional lemon juice, salt or pepper and add as desired.

The salad can be made a couple of hours ahead and chilled.

Party-In-Your-Mouth Salad: Yesterday’s Mavens, Today’s Foodies

I have another new cookbook release to tell you about! Yes, I am officially a cookbook junkie. I treat cookbooks like novels, reading them page by page and immersing myself in the recipes, stories and photos. You can learn deeply about a culture or time in history by reading about what was being cooked and why. And then you get to create and eat the food!

This new book, Yesterday’s Mavens, Today’s Foodies, is a treasure of recipes and stories compiled by the Washington State Jewish Historical Society. It is full of history and anecdotes passed from generation to generation. The recipes are classic (Mama’s Gefilte Fish), intriguing (Blind Date Cake) and contemporary (Mojitos for a Crowd). You will find quite a range here: Ashkenazic and Sephardic, old and new, sweet and savory.

I had the pleasure of being involved in a small way ... if you turn the book over I am pictured on the back cover with Katherine Scharhon, a Seattle cook known for her delectable recipes. Together we are “yesterday’s maven and today’s foodie.” It was an honor and thrill when my friend, Leah, asked me to take part (and fun to have my first photo shoot!).

A lovely event was held to celebrate the launch of this new collection. Leah, who is an incredible chef and caterer, cooked a wide array of dishes from the cookbook. Pumpkin borekas, quinoa tabouli, dolmas, zucchini quesado, faux chopped liver and herring and beet salad ... and the desserts! Oh my. The dish that I went back for seconds of (perhaps even thirds) was the Party-In-Your-Mouth Salad. You just have to try something with a name like that, right?

This colorful salad is sweet and tangy, chewy and crunchy. The flavors come alive together and create, well – a party. Wild rice is combined with dried apricots, almonds, currants, dried cranberries (pomegranate seeds could be marvelous, too), garlic and red onion and dressed with a zippy vinaigrette. I recommend trying this one as a side on your holiday table or, since it multiplies easily, anytime you are feeding a crowd.

Party-In-Your-Mouth Salad
From Yesterday’s Mavens, Today’s Foodies
Contributed by Iantha Sidell
Serves 4 (scaled down - original recipe serves 16)

1 cup wild rice
3 1/2 cups chicken broth (I used vegetable broth)
3/4 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/4 cup currants
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup almonds, toasted and chopped
1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
1/2 cup Italian parsley, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup tarragon vinegar (I used red wine vinegar)
3/4 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup olive oil

Cook the rice in the broth for about 45 minutes, until the rice is soft and kernels pop open. Transfer the rice to a bowl and let cool.

Add the apricots, cranberries, currants, cranberries, almonds, red onion, parsley and garlic to the rice and stir gently.

Combine the vinegar and mustard in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in the olive oil. Toss the rice salad with your preferred amount of dressing, season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.