Kale Salad
Kale is one of the easiest vegetables to grow, easy to use in the kitchen and is packed full of goodness. It’s another one that I’ve really only embraced in recent years and now I do my best to get some kale into as many recipes as possible! We planted kale in March in one of the Drumanilra polytunnels, expecting it to bolt in May or June but it is still going strong and looking really healthy. As we marvelled over its growth yesterday, we decided it deserved to be the star of this week’s update.
Kale is low in calories and has many health benefits as it contains many important nutrients and antioxidants. It is high in vitamin C which has many important roles in the body and is an excellent source of vitamin K1 which is an important nutrient involved in blood clotting. Kale may help lower cholesterol level as certain substances contained in kale can bind bile acids in the digestive system and prevent them from being reabsorbed, reducing the total amount of cholesterol in the body. Kale contains many compounds that have been shown to help fight cancer in certain studies, although studies in humans have mixed evidence.
Kale is very versatile and adapts to many recipes in the kitchen. It works well in salads, smoothies, soups and stews. It can be sauteed with some oil and onion or garlic or can simply be steamed. For a tasty snack, drizzle some extra virgin olive oil on your kale, sprinkle it with salt and then bake it in an oven until dry. Sticking with the summery theme of salads for now (even if that isn’t quite reflected in the weather!) this week’s recipe features a simple kale salad.
Kale Salad Recipe
Ingredients:
- 225g kale
- 1 small garlic clove
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3-4 tbsp lemon juice
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Croutons (optional)
Method:
- Wash and dry the kale. Destem and roughly chop the kale
- Peel and mince the garlic Sprinkle it with the salt and mash into a paste.
- Place the garlic paste in a bowl. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, freshly ground black pepper and whisk to combine. Add the Parmesan cheese and stir to combine.
- Toss the dressing with the kale leaves. Top with additional Parmesan cheese if desired or homemade croutons.
This green salad pairs well with any meal. Enjoy!
