Massaged Kale and Persimmon Salad

I’m always looking for ways to liven up the typical winter fare. I try to cook seasonally as much as possible, but I end up just craving different vegetables after a few straight days of root vegetables. What’s your solution for the winter fruit and vegetable rut?

I find that a leafy and yummy salad can save the day. Changing up your and adding new and interesting ingredients can boost it to a new level.

I love a good massaged kale salad. I tend to always stick to my reliable butternut squash and kale salad, but I wanted something a bit different. I had some Tuscan Kale in my fridge. Tuscan Kale has a bit of a different texture than the traditional kale. The leaves are darker and a little less curly.

I decided to pair it with some radicchio and endive, which I knew needed to be used up.

I was about to toss some butternut squash in the oven, yet again, when I glanced at my fruit basket. I had some beautiful, juicy persimmon waiting to be eaten. Persimmon are a fall and winter fruit. It’s one of my favorite fruits. I had a hunch that the persimmon would pair well with the kale and slightly bitter radicchio.

I washed, cut and trimmed the Tuscan Kale. I transferred it to a large bowl and massaged it with some light sprinkle of sea salt.

I washed, peeled and sliced up some of the persimmon. The peel of the persimmon can be an irritant for some people.

I mixed up the softened kale with some red onions, radicchio and endive. I topped that mixture with the persimmons and some goat cheese. I love the way chèvre cheese adds a nice creaminess to a salad!

I made a simple olive oil and lemon dressing to go with the salad. I mixed the juice of one lemon with olive oil, salt, pepper, dijon mustard and a small bit of maple syrup.

The salad was delicious! I’m so glad I stepped away from the squash for the night.

Massaged Kale and Persimmon Salad

 

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Author: Hindy Garfinkel

Recipe type: Salad

Ingredients

For the Salad:

• 4-5 cups of Tuscane Kale, stems removed, cut up
• 1 small head of radicchio, chopped
• 2 small heads of endive, chopped
• 2 persimmons, peeled and sliced or subed
• chèvre goat cheese
• sea salt

Salad Dressing

• Juice of 1 Lemon
• ⅔ cup olive oil
• 2 tsp. dijon mustard
• salt
• ground pepper
• 2 tsp. maple syrup

Instructions

For the salad

1. Place the washed, cut and stemmed kale in a large bowl
2. Sprinkle a small amount of sea salt over the kale
3. With your hands, massage the kale for a few minutes to break down and soften the kale. You can see how I did it here.
4. Once the kale is ready, add in the chopped radicchio and endive
5. Add in the persimmons and goat cheese
6. Mix up the dressing ingredients in a separate container and shake well

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