Kale Salad with Honeyed Shallots and Plums
Another salad from Pascale Beale who I had the pleasure of meeting and experiencing her cooking class last fall. This seemed like a good salad for the season as plums are beginning to roll in and at least some greens are holding their own. Plums are one of my favorite fruits—their balance of toothsome tartness make them perfect for both sweet and savory moments.
From her beautiful book…
I used organic black plums in this version but when the local plums are ready it will be time to try this again. Our regional plums are small and tart so may need a dash more honey than the recipe calls for, but their flavor is potent and fabulous.
Shallots are in the allium family giving us a mildly onion-garlic flavor. We are lucky enough to have a lovely Brit living nearby and growing shallots (of course with Ted they are pronounced shallóts) but if you cannot access shallots, try using a sweet onion with a little minced garlic clove. Or try the Julia Child shallot-substitute-tip: mince an onion then blanch briefly in hot water; or the Revised Julia Tip: mince an onion, place in a strainer and run hot water over it for about a minute.
Whatever you do, enjoy your salad.
Kale Salad with Honeyed Shallots and Plums
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Toss together and place on a baking sheet:
2 bunches Kale—cleaned, stem ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch wide strips
Olive Oil
Sprinkle with:
Sea Salt and Black Pepper
Bake in the center of the oven for 8 minutes.
While kale is roasting, pour a little olive oil into a cast-iron skillet or heavy-bottomed pan placed over medium heat.
Add and cook for 5 minutes:
Olive Oil
12 Shallots, peeled and quartered
Add and cook for 5 minutes more:
1 Tablespoon Honey
10-12 Plums, cut into eighths
Add and toss:
1 Tablespoon Chives, minced
3/4 cup Pecans (or Walnuts)
A little Sea Salt and Black Pepper
Remove from heat.
Place in the bottom of a large salad bowl:
1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
and whisk in to form a smooth emulsion, it should look like a light mayonnaise:
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar
Add in the Shallot-Plum mixture, the roasted Kale, and:
8 ounces Spinach
Toss to combine all the ingredients well. Serve while the kale is still warm.
“Time spent with cats is never wasted.”
Sigmund Freud
Rest in Peace, my dear friend.
