I’ve always thought kale and a good Caesar dressing would pair beautifully together, but had never tested the theory until now. I’m happy to report that my hypothesis was correct. This is a hearty kale Caesar salad, well-suited to a main course, or paired with a teeny bit of roast chicken or meat.
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About a decade ago, I came across a Caesar dressing recipe in Fine Cooking by Ana Sortun, the chef/owner of Oleana Restaurant in Cambridge, Mass. Several years later, I met Ana at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone and waxed on about how incredible the recipe was. Then I realized how silly it was to be praising the acclaimed chef of a high end Turkish restaurant for her Caesar salad dressing recipe. But, honestly, it made that big of an impact on me. Over the years, I memorized and adapted it, and this is the version that has stuck as a staple in our house. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
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After much agonizing, I’ve come to think of this dish as a naked gratin and close cousin to pommes Anna. I used a mixture of rutabaga, kohlrabi and sunchokes (also called Jerusalem artichokes) in lieu of potatoes, and it was out of this world. The sunchokes, especially, gave it an amazing nutty earthiness. If you can find a pound or so of those, I highly recommend using them. But go with whatever root veggies suit your fancy. One other embellishment I loved … smoked sea salt. Not necessary by any means, but fun if you want to give it a little something extra.
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A plate of soft scrambled eggs is one of my hands-down favorite easy dinners, and can also be transformed into an easy appetizer by topping crostini (and if you’re feeling decadent, drizzling with truffle oil). Watch my video down below to see how easy it is to make these luscious scrambled eggs.
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Apparently, there has been kale backlash lately. Here’s what I have to say about it.
Tough. Not the kale, the backlash.
This is precisely the kind of thing that ticks me off. I am all for vegetables taking the limelight (hallelujah!). But the minute a certain vegetable is deemed trendy, we’ve seriously lost our way.
And here’s why: On a NOURISH Evolution, everyone gets to discover at their own pace. That means I may be wild for leafy greens while you’re having an epiphany about broccoli. One is no better or “cooler” than the other. What’s cool is that we’re both scooting forward on our NOURISH Evolution by falling in love anew with a nourishing food.
So please, please, please don’t let an article or blog post about kale being “so last year” convince you to pass up this salad. Because that would be sad.
Christopher and I are in the midst of a new year’s cleanse right now, which was the impetus behind this salad. I always find cleanses–and fasts–so illuminating.
It’s amazing what emotions come up when you say no to things you’re so used to saying yes to. For me, there are straight up cravings to be sure. But fear, insecurity and entitlement also get kneaded into the mix.
At my worst, I’m wearing a very. grumpy. face. and a woe is me attitude as I stew on all the things I can’t eat right now. At my best, I’m able to delight in the flavors and textures and beauty of all I can eat right now. I can also objectively chew on just how attached I am to feeding myself what I want, whenever I want, as soon as I’m hungry, and how that attitude is affecting the rest of my life … even when the norm is nourishing meals.
I find saying no to be a healthy calibration from time to time.
So I hope you’ll see this salad not as an austere new year’s penance, but for all it has to offer: The beauty of the radicchio slivers and the light green avocado set against the dark green kale; the tangy dressing offsetting the meaty leaves; the crunch of the coconut as a counterpoint to the toothsome chew. And I hope you’ll see kale–and all vegetables–as timeless.
I’ve been wanting to do a kale salad for a long time, and this is the one I wanted to make. Rubbing breaks down the cells and softens the kale, yet leaves all of its meaty taste.
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon tamari sauce
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon honey, liquified
2 tablespoons minced scallions
4 packed cups Tuscan kale (also called dinosaur or black kale), zipped, cleaned and torn into bite-sized pieces
1 cup julienned radicchio
1 cup cilantro leaves
coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 avocado, cubed
1 cup toasted, unsweetened coconut chips
Shake together the oil, lime juice, tamari sauce, cider vinegar, honey and scallions in a tight-sealing jar.
Place the kale in a large bowl and rub a handful at a time between your palms as if you were warming your hands together. You’ll feel the kale “soften” after 15 seconds or so. Then grab another bunch and do the same thing until you’ve rubbed all of the kale.
Toss the kale, radicchio, cilantro a generous pinch of salt and pepper together in the bowl and pour dressing over top. Toss well to thoroughly coat and top with avocado and coconut chips.
Serves 2
I dug into the January issue of Bon Appetit over the New Year break and was psyched to see it dedicated to “The New Healthy.” I felt like the NOURISH site was lifted to the Bon Appetit pages, and am SO psyched that the conversation about enjoying a life free of processed food and full of fresh, seasonal, real food has reached the mainstream.
But something stood out that made me say, “I beg to differ.”
Dan Barber, the Executive Chef and co-Owner of Blue Hill at Stone Barns and one of the pillars of the modern sustainable food movement, states in a chef photo spread, “The future of healthful eating is going to be in the hands of chefs, much more than nutritionists or doctors.”
I agree that lasting change is not likely to happen at the hands of doctors or nutritionists, but I personally don’t think it’s going to happen at chefs’ tables either. You know who’s going to make the tidal shift in America?
You are. You and me and every home cook doing what it takes to get dinner on the table during busy weeknights.
I don’t dispute that chefs will inspire us, and I am grateful for that. Here in Healdsburg, I’m continuously in awe of how Spoonbar Chef Louis Maldonado elevates local, seasonal vegetables and sustainably caught fish to a fine art (I just recently made this Brown Rice Mushroom Porridge as a riff on his version at Spoonbar). And I’m psyched to see him get national acclaim for doing so on Top Chef … did you see what he did with broccoli on episode nine of Last Chance Kitchen?
But real, lasting change across America isn’t going to happen with sous vide carrots. It’s going to happen with dishes like this Leek, Lemon and Cauliflower Fettuccine (I used whole wheat spaghetti last night and it rocked). With dishes loaded with vegetables that are easy to cut up and get in the pan. With dishes packed with so much flavor that the whole family tucks in happily without goading, and that reheat for easy, healthy lunches the next day. With meals that use only a couple of pots and a cutting board so they don’t take forever to clean up afterwards.
I happened to make this pasta last night with a gorgeous head of organic cauliflower grown in the garden of our local Shelton’s market, and I’m thankful to have that choice. But if that makes you roll your eyes and think it’s too hard or too expensive to buy local and organic … don’t feel judged! That’s OK. Do what you can. If you’re committing to buying organic at Whole Foods this year, terrific. If you’re just getting familiar with the outer perimeter of your local Safeway, good on you … you’re forging into new territory and that’s a good thing.
The point is, no matter where you are on your NOURISH Evolution, taking one step forward this year will make a difference. So make this cauliflower pasta … you’ll be changing the course of history when you do.
This brown rice porridge is inspired by Chef Louis Maldonado of Spoonbar here in Healdsburg, and most recently of Top Chef fame. He turned me on to rice porridge. It’s one of the staples on his menu that he changes up with the seasons and the whims of the farmers that supply him. It’s also a traditional dish across a number of different cultures, from Korea to Vietnam, and is often eaten as breakfast (which I can now personally vouch for as being a very good idea). On a recent cold, cold night when my family was dropping sick one by one, I conjured this version up to bring comfort to us all. It takes awhile to cook (you can shave off about half the time if you use a pressure cooker), but it’s one of those dishes that calls to you from the fridge all week long, so make a double batch and consider it time well invested.
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This Thanksgiving, Mom requested butternut squash soup and grilled cheese. I made enough to freeze for easy meals in December, and I’m glad I did … this soup may be simple, but it’s gooood.
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Here is how to hold–and use–a chef’s knife. Note … it’s not “whack, whack,” it’s “whoosh, whoosh.”
