Winter Kale Salad with Feta
We rolled home after days of holiday gorging. Rolled—- it felt literal.
After unloading the car the first thing I did was to search the refrigerator for something green…and not the fuzzy varieties that might be lurking in the back. Vibrant green was what I was aching for, and I found a few leaves of curly kale from the last of the local harvest. Greenery! I quickly stripped the leaves off of the stem, added a little water to a saute pan and after a few minutes the color began to glow.
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I then proceeded to become distracted with unpacking and checking email and Scott finished the dish. He too scrounged around through anything we had on hand. There was a bag of feta crumbles leftover from my trip to Bill’s Imports in Minneapolis…and feta makes anything better, so he added the feta, pumpkin seeds and freshly ground peppercorns. This salad was the perfect antidote for our butter-sugar-chip overdosed bodies.
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The beauty of kale—do not underestimate this sturdy little friend! When lightly cooked it can be a winter substitute for salad greens, holding up well to dressings and vinaigrettes. I tend to eat less raw foods in the winter anyway so I’m loving this bright green alternative.
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These are Scott’s photos of a street light and brake lights through frosted windows. They look kind of celestial to me, and appropriate for the time of year when we’re thinking about another planetary revolution.
However arbitrary a date might be there is something handy about having a cycle with a beginning and an end. A year that we reflect upon and a year we look towards. Where have we been and where are we headed, I love these times of Pause.
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May we enter this New Year with new eyes and an open heart! May we appreciate that which is around us.
I wish for you a fun, healthy and peaceful 2013.
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These are approximate measurements…we were hungry and just started adding things.
Kale Salad with Feta
Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 5 minutes
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In a saute or sauce pan add:
4 cups kale, chopped
1/2 cup water (more or less)
Simmer a few minutes, until bright green (don’t overcook).
Stir so that all leaves are blanched by the water.
When done, toss into a salad bowl.
Top with:
1/2 cup Feta Cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup Pumpkin Seeds, toasted and salted
Freshly Grated Peppercorns (the fresh is truly the best for this!)
This can be served hot or cold.
Other topping ideas:
- Dried Cranberries
- Pistachios, Sunflower Seeds, or most any kind of nut
- Apple Cider Syrup
- Reduced Balsamic Vinegar
- Oranges
- Caesar Dressing
- Avocados
- Broccoli
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