Tangy Fall punch Salad
Serves: 4 sides
Ingredients:
1 bunch of Tuscan kale (shredded or chopped, stems removed) ~about 6 cups
1/4 cup (45 grams or 1 1/2 ounces) unsweetened dried cherries (chopped)
1/2 cup (55 grams or 2 ounces) toasted walnut halves or pieces (optional)
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon hot water
1/4 cup panko (15 grams or 1/2 ounce) or slightly coarse homemade breadcrumbs (from a thin slice of hearty bread)
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
Sea salt (to taste)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 ounces (55 grams) pecorino cheese, grated or ground in a food processor, which makes it delightfully rubbly (1/2 cup total) (sub for nutritional yeast for non-dairy)
Juice of half a lemon
Freshly ground black pepper or red pepper flakes, to taste
Method:
Prepare nuts: Heat oven to 350. Toast walnuts on a baking sheet for 10 minutes, tossing once. Let cool and coarsely chop.
Prepare dried cherries: In a small bowl, add white wine vinegar, hot water and dried cherries for 5 minutes, until plump and soft. Set aside in liquid.
Prepare crumbs: Toast bread crumbs, garlic and 2 teaspoons of the olive oil in a skillet together with a pinch of salt until golden. Set aside.
Prepare kale: Trim heavy stems off kale and remove ribs. I always find removing the ribs annoying with a knife, because the leaves want to roll in on the knife and make it hard to get a clean cut. Instead, I’ve taken to tearing the ribs off with my fingers, which is much easier for me. Stack sections of leaves and roll them into a tube, then cut them into very thin ribbons crosswise.
Assemble salad: Put kale in a large bowl. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and lemon juice, and massage kale well. Add cheese, walnuts and plump cherries (leaving any leftover vinegar mixture in dish). Taste and adjust seasonings with salt, pepper, and some of the reserved vinegar mixture from the raisins, if needed. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving, if you can, as it helps the ingredients come together. Just before serving, toss with breadcrumbs and, if needed, a final 1 teaspoon drizzle of olive oil.
