Kale Salad…it’s all about the timing

For the past twenty years my work as a private chef has allowed me the luxury of cooking food and serving it right away (as opposed to catering work where one prepares food for transport and reheat).  But my new curbside pickup dinners have put me in the position of cooking food more like a caterer.  This food has to withstand packaging, transport, and reheating/finishing out of my sight.  I find this (particularly the “out of my sight” part) a bit stressful…but in the grand scheme of stressors inherent in our pandemic world, this is minor. For me, many of the pitfalls of this kind of cooking can be avoided—or at least minimized—with careful menu planning.

As I have navigated designing menus for these dinners, one of the difficulties has been salads.  I love salad—of all kinds.  Anytime I prepare a multi course meal I want to include salad.  Not only do they add something fresh and raw, they are a great source of textural and flavor counterpoint to the richer foods usually included in the entrée and/or the dessert.  Unfortunately, once lettuces have been dressed they have to be eaten straight away…making a dressed lettuce-based salad inappropriate for inclusion in a meal destined to be consumed at a later time.  By the time the dressed salad gets to its destination it will have wilted from the weight and acidity of the vinaigrette.

The obvious solution to this problem is to package the salad components and the dressing separately.  This is a reasonable way to present the salad…and I have done it (and will do it again)…but this solution has its pitfalls too.  Salads are best when the lettuces and additions are tossed together (by hand) in a bowl so that everything will be lightly and evenly coated with just the right amount of vinaigrette.  A well dressed salad is typically not perfectly dressed after the first “toss.”  When I dress a salad, I add salt and pepper, drizzle in some vinaigrette, toss, and then taste.  At this point the salad will probably require some more attention:  Maybe more salt…or a tad more dressing…or a squeeze of lemon even.  I always add less dressing than I think I need at the first pass because an overdressed salad is soggy—and once added you can’t take it away.  (You can always add more.)  Even with a small instruction sheet that is sent home with the curbside dinners, I have no way of knowing if this is how people are dressing their salads.  I wonder if the salad ingredients are simply turned onto a plate with the entire contents of the vinaigrette container poured over.  I’m sure—because the ingredients are delicious—that when eaten this way that the salads are fine.  But they might not be as good as they could be.  And I want to serve food that is more than “fine.”  I want it to be delicious!

So far the best solution I have discovered to my salad dilemma (besides choosing an appetizer other than a salad…) is to choose greens that taste even better after the dressing has had time to sit on them and soften them a bit.  The most obvious green in this category has been green cabbage…in coleslaw. 

Growing up I didn’t think of coleslaw as salad.  I thought of it as some bizarre inedible found at almost every potluck gathering or as the obligatory accompaniment to otherwise delicious barbecue.  I don’t know when it dawned on me that it could actually be a delicious salad (Coleslaw is from the Dutch Koolsla, which translates as “cabbage salad”)…but I have probably written about this before…and have actually posted a couple of tasty recipes. I think the coleslaw I included in one of my summer dinners went over very well.  And as we head into the winter—when cabbage comes into its own—I will probably include coleslaw of some kind again.

But the salad green that has been the very best for my curbside pickup dinners has been kale.  This may cause some eye rolls or heavy sighs from people who are tired of kale.  In recent years kale has enjoyed immense popularity…and has also suffered a fall from favor that is surely a backlash due to overexposure.  And this is a shame.  I won’t get into all of the whys of kale's rise and fall here—mostly because I don’t really understand how a food suddenly become an “it” food in the first place.  I will only say that one of the main reasons that overexposed foods fall out of favor is misuse and improper preparation.  Kale has definitely suffered from both of these.  When served cooked, it is frequently undercooked (not all vegetables should be crunchy or al dente!)…and when served as a salad, often—believe it or not—it isn't dressed far enough in advance.

Kale is after all cabbage.  The Italian name for Tuscan Kale (Cavolo Nero) means black cabbage.  So it makes sense that this substantial and impervious green would taste best in a salad after it has had time to absorb the flavor…and soften from the acidity…of the dressing.  Kale salads stand up so well to the dressing that they can even be eaten as a leftover the next day.  (If you have ever tried to eat leftover dressed salad made with baby lettuce or arugula…or just about any other salad green…before, you probably don’t believe this.)  In fact, kale salads are often better the next day (depending on what else is in the salad).

As far as my dinners were concerned, I had forgotten about kale salads because I don’t tend to eat them in the warmer months (although I do make a delicious warm weather entrée-sized kale salad that involves roasted corn and Italian sausage…).  It was only when I began planning a curbside menu for the first of the cooler weather…and I saw kale back at the farmers market…that I thought about the advantages of using it for a curbside dinner.

The salad I made for the most recent dinner was a combination of the one found on the blog Smitten Kitchen…and the first kale salad I ever tasted (made by my chef friend Nancy).  I borrowed the golden raisins, walnuts, salty pecorino and garlicky toasted breadcrumbs from Smitten Kitchen…and took some crunchy, shaved celery and a fantastic Honey-Dijon vinaigrette from Nancy.  The resulting salad was really, really good:  a flavor party of contrasting tastes and textures.   After the curbside dinner I had leftovers of all the salad ingredients.  So I was able to enjoy this salad for lunch and dinner several days running (with soup…grilled cheese…quesadilla…etc.).  I never got tired of it.

One of the morals of the story here is that if you think you don’t like kale salads, it may be because you have always eaten them too soon after they have been dressed.  I suspect that if you prepared a kale salad for yourself …and then waited a half hour or so to eat it…that you would find that you really liked it.  This particular kale salad would be a great one to use as your first test case.  

  Autumn Kale Salad

100 g. (scant cup) walnuts
62 g. (mounded 1/3 cup) golden raisins
4 t. each white wine vinegar and water
1/4 c. coarse fresh bread crumbs
2 t. olive oil
1 very small clove of garlic
170 g. prepared Tuscan kale (see note)
100 g. (1 c.) thinly sliced celery
2 oz. pecorino, grated medium fine (it should have some texture)
1/2 recipe Honey-Dijon vinaigrette (below)

Spread the walnuts on a small baking sheet and place in a 350° oven and toast until they begin to take on a golden color and are fragrant—about 5 to 7 minutes.  Remove from the oven and set aside to cool (if you like, toss with a small drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt).  When the nuts are cool enough to handle, crumble coarsely by hand (or chop, if you prefer—I like the texture of hand crumbled walnuts).  Set aside. 

Place the raisins in a small saucepan with the vinegar and water.  Bring to a simmer.  Simmer gently for five minutes or so (until plump and soft—the liquid may or may not be fully absorbed…this is ok).  Set the raisins aside (don’t drain).

Place the breadcrumbs and olive oil in a small non-stick sauté pan over moderate heat.  Let the crumbs sizzle, stirring regularly with a heatproof spatula, until they are golden in color.  Remove from the heat and use a microplaner to grate the garlic over the crumbs.  Give them one last stir.  Transfer the crumbs to a plate.  Set aside.

Dress the salad:  Place the kale in a large bowl along with the walnuts, raisins (with liquid), celery and pecorino.  Season with freshly ground pepper.  Drizzle most of the vinaigrette over and toss.  Use your hands to toss the greens, massaging/rubbing the vinaigrette into the kale a bit as you toss.

Taste and correct the seasoning with salt and pepper.  Let the salad sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.  Even better—if time allows, cover the salad, and let it sit in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour.  When ready to serve, toss again, adding more dressing if necessary.  Mound on individual plates or in a serving bowl and scatter the toasted crumbs over all.

Serves 4 generously.

Note:

• It would be nice if bunches of kale always weighed the same. Unfortunately this is not the case. I have purchased bunches that weighed barely four ounces…and some that were 2/3 of a pound or more. A third to a half pound seems to be mostly the norm. You will need at least a half pound untrimmed kale to get the 6 oz. (170 g) of trimmed greens needed for this salad. It is best to purchase two bunches (unless they are very large).
• To prepare the kale, strip out the center rib. Stack the leaves and cut cross-wise in 1/2-inch ribbons. Wash well (in several changes of water) and spin dry. If not using right away, store in an airtight container with a damp paper towel.

(Adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette

1 T. honey
2 t. Dijon mustard
2 T. Sherry vinegar
1 t. fresh lemon juice
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 c. olive oil

In a small bowl whisk together the honey, Dijon, Sherry vinegar, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk until the salt dissolves, then slowly whisk in the olive oil until you have a nice creamy emulsion. Taste & correct the seasoning.

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Raw Zucchini Salad

One of the things I love about my new home is my kitchen.  It will come as no surprise to hear that during my home search one of my “must haves” was a good kitchen.  It didn’t have to be state of the art—but it had to be highly functional.  The kitchen I got exceeded my wildest expectations.  I love it…and have enjoyed getting to know it over the past year or so.

But of course, nothing is ever perfect.  During the past two summers I have discovered one thing that I really miss about my old kitchen:  its location in the house.   My old kitchen was just off a large great room that had a two story vaulted ceiling.  The house thermostat was located on the opposite side of the great room.  Without even thinking about it—even on the hottest days of summer—I was in the habit of firing up my oven for tasks hot and large (pizza) as well as things small and moderate (toasting a handful of nuts to top pasta or a salad).  The heat from the oven just wafted out of the kitchen and rose up into the heights of the great room ceiling, never making it as far as the thermostat. The kitchen never got overly hot…and the A/C never had to work any harder to make up for the heat being pumped out of my oven.  In my blissful ignorance I baked and roasted my ways through the long hot summers, always a bit mystified when people in classes commented that they loved my summer pizzas, but they had no intention of turning their oven up to that kind of temperature in the summer.

Fast forward to my new home and kitchen….with its nice powerful convection oven and poorly placed house thermostat (in a small hall area right off the kitchen).   Even though the layout of the house is open, the ceilings are of a standard height.  That, coupled with a smaller space in general, makes it so the temperature in the house can quickly become overwhelmed by my nice powerful oven.  If I turn it on—even for a few minutes—the temperature in a good portion of the house begins to climb…and the A/C begins to run non-stop.  

I don’t share any of this to complain.  Rather, I mention it because it has forced me to become a bit more creative and efficient—which is always a good thing.  The worst issues were solved with a few strategically placed fans (at least turning on the oven doesn’t make the thermostat go up even when the A/C is running!).  I also plan now about when and how I will use my oven.  And as often as possible I double and triple up on tasks:  If the oven is on to make coffeecake (a non-negotiable essential), I toast nuts (in larger batches)…or roast a couple of ears of corn…or bake a bunch of beets.  This way, later in the week, when I want nuts or corn (or beets) for a cold salad, the oven doesn’t even come into play.  

Another change has been in the things I eat—choosing to eat something in its raw state rather than cooked.  Today’s salad is a case in point.  I have always added zucchini to pastas, salads, quiche…quesadillas…all summer long—almost always in its cooked form (roasted, broiled, sautéed, etc.).  When I have chosen to eat it raw I have always felt it necessary to shave it in long ribbons or thin and wide cross sections.  It’s delicious this way, but not always appropriate.

Recently I saw a salad of thick-ish batonnets of raw zucchini on the NY Times Instagram feed.  It included nuts…and herbs…and cheese…and a tangy dressing—but they were just garnish.  It was basically an all out raw zucchini experience.  I was intrigued…and a bit dubious…but I made a mental note to try it sometime.

Later in the week I was making a BLT for dinner and needed a quick side dish.  I had recently come into an abundance of zucchini.  I thought of that salad.  The vinaigrette for the salad was more involved than I wanted—and the salad included toasted almonds (I had raw…)—so I made a few changes.  I had some of the vinaigrette left that I always use on raw late spring/early summer vegetable salads and I thought it would do nicely.  And I used some toasted and salted sunflower seeds that I had on hand and wouldn’t require the oven.  It was delicious.  I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the soft crunch of the zucchini.  To be honest, I think the additional hard crunch of almonds would have been a bit much, so I was glad I had had to use the sunflower seeds instead.

In the days that have followed I have made this style of zucchini the base of my lunch time salad on several occasions.  I almost always add roasted corn (I keep it in a container in the fridge) and cherry tomatoes.  My nut of choice is walnuts (toasted in quantity, salted & oiled, and kept in my pantry), but occasionally I will use sunflower seeds.  Sometimes I use the shaved Pecorino called for in the recipe, but more often than not I opt for big crumbles of Feta.  Arugula makes a great addition…as does mint.  But if you don’t have either of these on hand, it is delicious without.  I’m guessing basil or parsley leaves would be good, too.  And that dressing I had on hand that first time?  It has become the standard.  I have since made a big batch.

It should be obvious that this is a highly adaptable salad. The main thing to keep in mind is the seasoning.  In looking at the recipe and in thinking of my own experience with raw vegetables in general—and zucchini in particular—it seemed to me that salt and acid are the keys to the success of the salad.  So a salty cheese, a tangy vinaigrette, and careful salting are a must.  If you don't have a salty cheese, some olives would be a good addition.  Other than that, feel free to improvise with ingredients—using a nice balance of crunchy, soft, and juicy ingredients.   As for quantities, the ones I’m giving in the recipe are just a guide.  I never weigh when I make this salad—I just add larger and smaller handfuls of the ingredients.  And that’s what you should do too.  The only reason there are weights and measures in my recipe is to give you a place to start.  The last time I made it, I weighed everything as I put it into the bowl for the purpose of posting a recipe.

I realize of course that most of the rest of the world has been having to make these summer cooking adjustments all along—that I was truly spoiled.  But that’s ok.  I have no desire to trade my new kitchen for my old.  I’ll just keep adjusting.  My next operation keep-the-house-cool project will be making friends with my neglected Weber.  Grilled pizza, here I come. 

Raw Zucchini Salad

With Roasted Corn, Cherry Tomatoes & Feta

For one lunch-sized salad (recipe multiplies easily):

1 small zucchini/summer squash (about 2 1/2 oz), cut into quarter-inch batonnets
1/2 c. (about 2 1/2 oz.) roasted corn kernels
1/2 c./2 oz. cherry tomatoes, quartered (or halved of very small)
A small handful/1/2 oz. arugula
20 g./3 T. toasted, oiled & salted walnuts, coarsely crumbled or 1 1/2 T. oiled and salted sunflower seeds
1 oz. crumbled Feta (used a good quality Feta packed in brine) or shaved Pecorino
Salt & Pepper
1 1/2 to 2 T. Basic Tangy Vinaigrette (below)

Place the first six ingredients in a bowl.  

Season with salt and pepper.  Drizzle with the vinaigrette, toss to combine. Taste and correct the seasoning…adding more vinaigrette if you like.  Mound on a plate and serve!

Notes: 

• Quantities should be to taste.  I have given amounts only as a starting point.  You should alter to suit your preferences and your palate.
• Salad is delicious with a handful of fresh mint leaves.

Basic Tangy Vinaigrette:
1 T. finely minced shallot
1 small clove of garlic, minced
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 T. Dijon mustard
3/4 c. oil—olive oil, or half olive oil and half vegetable oil
1 T. finely minced parsley

Place the shallot, garlic, vinegar, pepper and a half teaspoon of kosher salt in the cup of an immersion blender...or regular blender.  Let sit for five minutes.  Add the mustard. With the blender running, add the oil in a thin stream to form a thick, emulsified dressing.  Add the parsley and process briefly...or simply stir in.  Taste and correct the seasoning.  Makes 1 cup vinaigrette.

The dressing keeps at least two weeks in the refrigerator.  If all olive oil is used, it will solidify under refrigeration and you will need to bring to room temperature before using.  When made with half vegetable oil it will still be pourable when cold.

Note: You may add the parsley with the Dijon...just be aware that your vinaigrette will have a pale green cast to it.

(Vinaigrette recipe from Cooking with the Seasons by Monique Jamet Hooker)


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