Kale. The vegetable that people love to hate. I get it. Kale can be too much – too much bitterness, too much texture, too much chew. But it doesn’t have to be any of that. If you treat your kale with tender loving care – massage it a bit, give it a tableside toss, and dress it up with shaved Parmesan and sourdough croutons, you’ll get a real I’d-like-to-get-to-know-you-better vibe. The Caesar dressing will happily step out on it’s regular partner Romaine. It’s OK; it can’t be helped.
The salad bowl won’t miss the Romaine either. I have two wooden salad bowls, one that I use for every day for the two of us, and a large hand-made walnut bowl the I trot out for company. Ron bought the walnut bowl for me for Christmas a few years ago, and I love making Caesar dressing right in the bowl at the table, even for people who don’t think they like kale. The lemony dressing tames the kale’s bitterness. The kale is sliced into fine ribbons and massaged before being rinsed and spun dry, making it it much more docile – less texture and chew. A nice crunch comes from the cucumbers and the garlicky croutons. The salad is worthy of the bowl.
If you try it, you’ll find that this Garden Kale Caesar Salad is quite easy to love. Go on – you deserve it.
Garden Kale Caesar Salad
Ingredients
- 1 batch sourdough bread croutons (see note)
- 1 bunch kale (12-15 stems)
- 1 cucumber
- 2 cloves garlic
- 4 anchovy filets
- 1/2 small preserved lemon (or 1/4 large preserved lemon, see note)
- 1/4 t salt
- 1/8 t black pepper
- 1 t Dijon mustard
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 block Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Prep the kale – Destem the kale, then and cut the leaves into 1/4" ribbons. Soak the ribbons in very warm water with 1/4 t of salt for 15 minutes, then give the kale a gentle massage right in the water. Swish it around, drain it, then spin it dry.
- Chop the cucumber, grate the garlic, prepare the Parmesan, and chop the preserved lemon – Peel the cucumber and cut in in half, top to bottom. Scrape out the seeds, and cut each half lengthwise again, then slice. Set aside. Grate the garlic. Grate 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, then shave enough from the block of cheese to garnish the salad. Set aside. Rinse and chop the preserved lemon.
- Make the Caesar salad dressing – Place the garlic, anchovies, preserved lemon, salt and pepper in the bottom of a large wooden salad bowl, and muddle to form a paste. (I use the mortar from my mortar and pestle). Whisk in the mustard and egg yolk, then slowly whisk in the oil to emulsify the dressing. Stir in the grated Parm.
- Assemble the salad – Add the kale and cucumber to the bowl and toss well. Garnish with the croutons and shaved cheese. Serve immediately.
Notes
I apologize for being so bossy. I know you know how to chop vegetables, but in case you’re interested, I suggest a methodical approach when chopping kale. I’m left-handed, so I fold the kale leaf along the stem and lay it on the cutting board with the stem side down and to the right. Then I slice closely along the top of the stem, discard the stem, and stack the de-stemmed leaves. You’ll have a tidy stack that you can then run your knife through, a few times across so that you have as many stacks about two inches wide, then slice each stack into ribbons. Voila – ready for it’s bath in salt water and then the big finish.
The cucumbers are similarly dispatched. The seeds must go, especially in a Caesar – you don’t want it to be watery at all. It’s about the sumptuousness of it all.
I love kale. Thanks for the prep tips. Your pictures are beautiful and inviting.
Thanks, Peg!
I think kale is an acquired taste. I used to hate it but now I love it and I’ve learned how to use it . This post was also hilarious!
LOL! I had fun writing it. Glad you liked it. 🙂