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.
- 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
- Juice of 1 Lemon
- ⅔ cup olive oil
- 2 tsp. dijon mustard
- salt
- ground pepper
- 2 tsp. maple syrup
- Place the washed, cut and stemmed kale in a large bowl
- Sprinkle a small amount of sea salt over the kale
- 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.
- Once the kale is ready, add in the chopped radicchio and endive
- Add in the persimmons and goat cheese
- Mix up the dressing ingredients in a separate container and shake well
