Eat Well, Be Well, Live Well

This week I’m honoring kale.

Kale is often called the “queen of greens” because of it’s high nutritional content, and studies suggest it reduces your risk of developing cancer and lowers cholesterol. Just one cup of kale provides 180% of the daily requirement of vitamin A, 200% of vitamin C, 1,020% of vitamin K, 40% of magnesium, and a good dose of calcium, fiber and vitamin B6. It’s also an excellent source of potassium, copper, manganese, iron and phosphorous. It belongs to the same family as cabbage, brussel sprouts and collards.

Kale grows year-round here in Northern California, but I find people are always looking for good ways to prepare it. This salad has undoubtedly been blogged by many others, but in case you haven’t seen this recipe or made this salad, you must. It’s easy to prepare and always well-received. I’m not certain where the recipe came from originally, but I saw it most recently in Sunset Magazine.

I think curly kale works best in this recipe because it makes a nice texture contrast with the radicchio. Not a huge kale fan? I also make the dressing and drizzle it over whole-leaf romaine in classic caesar-salad style. It’s delicous either way. So without further ado, here’s the recipe.

Ingredients

8 anchovy fillets, minced (and if you’re not a fan of anchovies, leave them out)

1 garlic clove, minced or crushed

Juice of 1 lemon

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

About 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

3/4 lb. curly kale, ends and tough ribs trimmed, cut crosswise into 1-inch ribbons

1/2 lb. radicchio, cut crosswise into 1-inch ribbons

Preparation

Whisk anchovies, garlic, lemon juice, oil, 2 tbsp. water, the salt, and pepper in a very large bowl. Don’t worry that the dressing doesn’t emulsify; it will come together more when you add the cheese.

Add 3/4 cup parmesan and the greens and mix with your hands. (Not only does massaging the salad with your hands mix all the ingredients together, it also softens the kale.) Set salad on plates. Add more parmesan if you like.

Serve immediately.