Kale from the garden. This is a first for us and it is so good! We’re growing the Lacinato variety of kale, it looks just as you would expect but different than store bought in that it’s extremely tender. I don’t know if this will change over time, I read it takes kale two years to flower and complete its life cycle, so we will see. The salad recipe here is from Sprouted Kitchen’s new book Bowl + Spoon, it’s similar to other kale salads I’ve come to depend on, simply adding fruit and nuts works so well with the texture and flavor of kale. You can find more of my kale recipes here. You’ll probably see me making more dishes, or bowls rather, from the new book, I love Sarah’s style of cooking, working with whole ingredients and focusing on very veggie-based meals. It’s a beautiful book as well, Hugh’s photography continues to inspire me. Oh, and soaked raisins, do this, really, I had never thought to soak them in vinegar, they really plump up and work so nice in a salad like this. Next time I’ll try the red balsamic vinegar, I think that could work great as well.

Kale Slaw with Soaked Raisins + Nuts

1/2 cup raisins
1/3 cup white balsamic vinegar, plus 2 tablespoons
1 bunch laminate kale (5 to 6 cups chopped)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts (or almond slivers)
1 shallot, finely minced
Pecorino or Parmesan cheese, shaved, about a 1/3 cup

Combine the raisins, 1/3 cup of the vinegar, and 2 tablespoons of hot water in a small dish. Set aside for at least 15 minutes or overnight for a more acidic flavor.

Remove stems from the kale and chop the leaves into small pieces. Transfer to a large bowl and drizzle on the remaining vinegar, olive oil, a generous pinch of salt and pepper, and the red pepper flakes. Toss the kale and dressing then let it sit for 10 minutes to absorb some the dressing.

Drain the liquid from the raisins and add them to the kale along with the nuts, shallot and cheese. Give the salad one more toss and serve.