So, I’ve been hiding. I admit it. I sit down and try to write something meaningful, but nothing comes. We all have those days, and I’ve had one of those…years. It’s been tough adjusting to city life, and I’m still peering shyly out from behind my little rock. Usually I just crawl back under it, but lately I’ve been venturing out. I’m slowly getting things done: one major college application is now floating around the interweb, waiting for the lucky admissions staff member who gets to comb through it. Hopefully he/she enjoys the personal statement, because it took me two months to write. Perfectionist, me? Naw.
Lately, we’ve been enjoying a life of almost completely unprocessed food. It’s not intentional, either; we’re just that broke. Let’s hear it for being $100 above the federal poverty level! I truly believe that our financial and personal hardship of the past year has been balanced by the valuable lessons we’ve learned—and the fact that my husband now enjoys “hippie food.” He doesn’t squirm around seaweed or ume vinegar anymore either. I can announce a Jessica-Porter-inspired “Chew-a-thon” and he just laughs and says, “I just got this funny image of a hundred Chewbaccas running a 5k.” So, if any readers out there are interested in sponsoring Seattle’s first 5k Chewie-thon, let me know. Let’s keep it to a 5k though; I don’t think anyone could manage to run much farther in a Chewbacca suit.
Seriously, though, the food is fantastic. I’ve been spending the past few months falling in love with veggies—as if I could fall any more in love! I have decided that beets are the sexiest of all the vegetables, and have turned some heads in the supermarket with my enthusiasm over kale. It’s my #1 favorite right now, and for good reasons: besides being DELISH, it’s rich in vitamins and antioxidants. Vitamin C, Vitamin K, beta carotene, oh my! It’s considered one of the best cancer-fighting veggies out there. Plus, it’s a Brassica, and that makes it cool.
Despite my unusual excitement over this leafy green, many people turn up their noses at it. I was one of the skeptics. I mean, what the hell do you do with something that crinkly? It looks almost waxy when you rinse it, and it tastes really...intense. Definitely a far cry from Iceberg lettuce, or even Romaine. How did I become so enamored? Well, I’ll tell you.
Weeping Kale Salad
Besides munching on kale chips (tear it up into bite sized pieces, sprinkle on some salt and lemon, and bake at 350 for about 10 minutes), I didn’t know if I’d be able to tolerate the stuff until I made this salad. It’s kind of related to a macrobiotic pressed salad, but it doesn’t release a lot of moisture so the pressing isn’t necessary.
You’ll need:
½ bunch kale leaves, washed & torn into bite-sized pieces
Sea salt
Drizzle of olive oil
1-2 tablespoons vinegar (I enjoy Apple Cider or Balsamic)
½ apple, cored and diced
⅓ c. raisins or currants
A handful of pecans, walnuts, or cashews
Crumbled tofu (optional)
Toasted bread croutons (optional)
Cracked black pepper
Place the kale leaves in a medium sized bowl and sprinkle a little bit of salt over them. Begin massaging the leaves until they become wilted—about 3 to 5 minutes. This is my favorite part! Make sure you don’t wipe your hands on anything. Chlorophyll is awesome, but not on your shirt. Unless you have a green shirt.
Now that your kale bits are weeping, it’s time to cheer them up by drizzling on some oil and vinegar! I find that the right amount of vinegar really transforms this dish, so be sure to taste test. Toss the leaves to coat. Add the apple, dried fruit, and nuts, and toss again. Portion out onto serving plates; this usually makes 4 small side salads or two medium-to-large salads. Top with the tofu (if having) and finish off with some fresh cracked pepper.
YUM!
Makes 4 small servings or 2 larger servings
Makes 4 small servings or 2 larger servings
