When I started a blog called “The Kale Chronicles,” I liked the alliteration and I felt like I was perpetually struggling with kale: Riverdog Farm put in my vegetable box frequently and I had found no truly satisfying way to eat it in three years. Then I went to Mabel Dodge Luhan House in New Mexico this November and Jane Garrett served a kale salad. I ate some. Then I went up for seconds. Then I asked for the recipe.
Jane obliged and I have made this salad twice since returning home. Every time I make it, I eat big bowls full of it and I eat it everyday until it is gone. I made it again tonight and just ate a flat soup bowl full of it.
Why do I like it so much? It could be the dressing: Meyer lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, tahini, tamari and a little bit of honey — I might eat that on shoe leather, although I doubt it. I might like it because you blanch the kale before attempting to eat it. I just like it.
I’ll give you Jane’s version as she wrote it and then I’ll explain how and why I altered it.
Jane Garrett’s Kale Salad
Blanch two bunches of kale*.
Add what you like: grated carrots, radishes, dried cherries, almonds, red potatoes, feta, mint.
Toss with the following dressing:
1/2 cup lemon juice with zest
1/3 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp tahini
2 Tbsp Braggs’ OR 1 Tbsp tamari
3 cloves garlic (I pressed mine)
1/4 tsp agave OR 1/4 tsp honey
*If you are going to eat kale, you need to remove the stems and ribs. Jane didn’t tell you this because she thinks everyone knows it. So, before you blanch the kale, remove the stems and ribs and compost them.
My alterations: I don’t have any Braggs’, which I believe is Braggs’ amino acid, or some such thing, and I haven’t been inclined to go out and get any. I deduced that it was contributing the salty flavor, so I substituted 1 Tbsp tamari for the 2 Tbsp of Braggs’. I used Meyer lemons because we have them growing in our front yard — they are sweeter and less sharp than Eureka lemons, the ones you usually find in the supermarket. I used 1/4 tsp honey for the agave because, once again, I don’t keep agave in the house — I don’t object to it or its flavor — it’s just not something I have around the house. Lastly, I don’t measure my olive oil: take Jane’s measurement if you want to be precise — I just dress the kale with some olive oil, mix together the other ingredients and toss the salad.
I haven’t been adventuresome in mixing things into this yet because I actually like the taste of the kale smothered in this dressing. I did put in half a handful of dried sour cherries tonight, but I couldn’t really taste them — the dressing is pretty powerful.
What I hope is that this salad helps some of you eat kale who have found it hard to enjoy in other preparations, especially those of you who are at your wits’ end when kale shows up in your farm box (Someone removed a bunch of kale from his box today and set it on top of the stack for someone else to take home!). It works for me.
Now, the award: Jen aka Zestybeandog kindly awarded me The Versatile Blogger Award. This pleases me because 1) Who doesn’t like an award and some recognition 2) Versatility in the kitchen is one of the hallmarks of my cooking style and 3) I get to pass the award on to several other bloggers whose blogs I enjoy. I am also to reveal seven things about myself
1) I love to sing. I sang in school choirs and church choirs. I have one CD, “Paris,” featuring traditional ballads, original songs and covers.
2) I started a ballad-singing group in Berkeley many years ago. It’s still going.
3) Besides painting food subjects I like to paint flowers, song illustrations and occasional landscapes. Animal portraits have been creeping in lately…
4) I used to work as a Recreation Leader in a program that brought together children with disabilities and able-bodied, neurotypical children.
5) I used to be a psychotherapist (MFT)
6) I love open-water swimming and swim in the Berkeley Marina, weather-permitting, from May through October.
7) I sell paintings. Just thought I’d throw that in because I do sell my original watercolors. I am happy to sell them. I am working on developing related products, including cards, trivets, canvas bags, etc. with images from “The Kale Chronicles.” If you want something, please ask.
Where to start? I have just been in the blogosphere for a little over four months, In that time I have come to enjoy the following blogs:
Bitsandbreadcrumbs by Betsy — Betsy cooks stuff I want to cook myself.
Kitchen Inspirations by Eva Taylor. Can’t tell you why exactly — that’s the nature of inspiration — I just like Eva’s blog.
Angry Cherry — the baking blog with personality and many original ideas. She makes things I want to try someday.
JustaSmidgen — lovely photos and some stunning recipes: malted milk meringues anybody? Or pomegranate salad?
From the Bartolini Kitchens — John chronicles his family’s Italian recipes, tells great stories and is one of the kindest people in the blogosphere that I have run across
Lauren is baking her way around the world, making things from every country she can think of. She is particularly honest, which makes her fun to read.
Linda, at Savoring Every Bite makes lovely cheesecakes, attends to decor as much as to food, is generous with her comments and posts a variety of recipes. Pumpkin fans must subscribe to her blog in the fall.
Bewitching Kitchen. Sally has a not-so-secret love of baking bread. In this, we are sisters. She just posted a wonderful-sounding caramelized carrot soup.
SmittenKitchen. This is a big, well-known blog. You may already read it. If you don’t, go there now: Deb has it all: recipes, photos, stories.
As you can see, those are food blogs.
I also read art blogs, or art and food blogs.
The first art and food blog I found was Jane Robinson’s Art Epicurean. Jane paints lovely abstracts and publishes a wide variety of recipes
My latest food and art blog discovery is The Hungry Artist by Melissa. I look forward to seeing more of her work (she just posted some wonderfully-shaped fig cookies on FoodBuzz)
And, somewhere in between, I found Dichotomyof. She makes colorful patchwork cushions, raises children and cooks, too.
For pure art (without food), go to
Bees ATC. Nancy posts a drawing everyday around midnight central time. They are usually colored pencil drawings.
Saltworkstudio: Suzanne has developed quite a following for her abstract acrylic work and collages. She teaches in Sonoma County, but she has gone to Rome for the holidays. I’m sure she’ll have stories to tell when she gets back
And, last, but not least, there is Donna Louise, neither a food nor art blog, but a modern serial by a funny, offbeat writer who shall remain nameless for the time being (at the writer’s request).
Sharyn, thank you for the lovely award. I’m honored and will think of something to reveal. I love your blog because it teaches me how to do wonderful things with vegetables I don’t normally eat.
You have given me some great ideas for meals and they are so easy to do.
Thanks again.
You are welcome, Donna Louise. I always like to read about your adventures.
Will check out your recommended websites. Another kale salad recipe? I’ve grown quite fond of kale this past year.
Do you have any suggestions for giving some taste to a dull, boring black bean soup I made today. It has carrots, onions, jalapeno peppers, some chopped lardons (bacon) and I used a chicken broth base. Would a chipotle pepper and some adobe sauce give is a seasoned taste? Right now it’s virtually tasteless
Any suggestions would be helpful.
Boring, huh? Saute a few more vegetables (whatever you have — onions, carrots, peppers with a generous amount of cumin. Put them in your soup. Then add a squeeze or orange, lemon, or lime or a tablespoon of vinegar: your soup probably lacks acidity. Also, have you salted it recently? If you want it hotter, try some vinegar-based hot sauce like Tabasco. And remember that with hearty soups the flavor develops as they sit.
No garlic? If you like it, put some in.
Oh, i am thrilled! My first award ever! And I’ve been blogging for 2 and a half years…. so I am very very VERY happy
Thank you so much!
(I am actually leaving on a trip tomorrow morning and won’t be able to compose a blog about it for a little while, but I wanted to stop by and say thank you…. I have a few posts timed to be published while I am away, though)
You gave me a very nice holiday gift! 😉
You are welcome, Sally. I’m sure the blogosphere will wait for your post when you have time to compose it. Enjoy your travels and have the happiest of holidays.
Sharyn, thank you so much for the award and for your kind words. I’m thrilled! And again, congratulations to you on being awarded. It was fun to find out some more interesting things about you!
I’m throughly intrigued by using tahini with kale in a salad. I mean it totally makes sense and it sounds like a wonderful salad…thanks for the idea and the recipe!
You are welcome, Betsy. I look forward to seeing what you cook next. I have loved tahini dressing ever since I first had it many years ago in a health food restaurant in Chapel Hill, NC (The Pyewacket Cafe). But I wouldn’t have thought to eat it on blanched kale until Jane G. served it up.
Congratulations on your award, Sharyn and thank you! I am quite flattered that you like my blog and honored for the award you bestowed! Thank you.
We used to buy Kale for our bunny Dustie, and I did cook it once or twice for JT and I, but haven’t since she’s been gone. Your salad recipe sounds like something I would like; I really enjoyed the texture of kale and the Meyer lemon dressing (you’re soo lucky to have that growing on your front lawn) sounds perfect!
Thanks again!
I like all lemons and lemony things, but Meyer lemons are particularly versatile. You are welcome — I hope a few more people will tune in to see what you are cooking.
Warm congratulations to you, Sharyn, for your much-deserved Versatile Blogger Award. Thank you for honoring me with a nomination and for the complimentary way in which you did. That was really kind of you.
Surprisingly, kale wasn’t something the Bartolini’s cooked. With all of the bitter greens that graced our table, it’s a wonder that they missed this one. I myself only started eating kale a few years ago but have yet to try it in a salad. Your recipe here sounds like it would be perfect for me to try a different preparation. Thanks for sharing!
Ah yes: the first time I remember eating truly bitter greens was when I went to Italy: they seemed to make salads out of anything green! I also remember delicious sauteed greens, including spinach cooked in oil with garlic. They do eat kale, particularly black kale, but I did not see it when I was there.
You are most welcome for the nomination.
Congratulations Sharyn. I enjoyed reading your seven reveals as well as the kale salad recipe, which reveals the kale in your chronicles. I try to imagine the flavors, which seem rare and exotic with things I have never tasted (had to google to find out what tahini was) and you are so blessed to have lemons growing in your yard. Thank you for sharing info about my blog and for nominating me!
You are welcome, Nancy. I hope some people take the time to visit your site: we all need art: what better than a daily dose? I can’t say enough about how delicious tahini salad dressing is. Tahini is also a key ingredient in baba ghanoush, hummus, and the sauce for falafels. Middle Eastern foods are popular here in the Bay Area.
Congratulations on your award, Sharyn. I think it is well-deserved. And thank you for the kale salad recipe! I occasionally buy a small container of kale salad from Whole Foods. Each time I make the purchase (I can’t resist) I think to myself it is too expensive! This particular dressing sounds just wonderful. I just bought a new jar of tahini and I think with your flexible ingredient list I can pull this one off! It would travel well to work! I look forward to visiting each of the sites you’ve highlighted! You’ve been a great resource and I enjoy each post. Debra
Thank you, Debra. The salad travels well — I took it for lunch on my last trip.
Congratulations on the award. I forgot to do that yesterday.
I have the black bean soup on to reheat and have added a generous amount of Louisianna Hot Sauce. It just tasted tasteless. Will see what the hot sauce does for it and if that doesn’t work I’ll add more sauteed vegetables, some lemon juice, and whatever else I have that seems appropriate. Thanks for your help.
Thank you, Bob. I heartily recommend cumin, garlic, acids and a dab of sour cream for the top of the bowl!
I’m going to bookmark this recipe as it’s a great salad for winter. And congrats on the award 🙂
Thank you, Claire. It must be beautiful in your Alpine hideaway. Happy Christmas.
Thanks so much for the award Sharyn!! I’m looking forward to checking out some of the other blogs you mention too. This sounds like an interesting recipe. I’ve never used sale before but I just watched a programme tonight – river cottage Christmas – I think you would like it where Hugh blanched kales and did some wonderful things with it. I will have to check out the channel 4 website to see if I can find a recipe for you. I’ve not heard of a lot of the ingredients that you mentioned in this recipe. I’m very intrigued!! Hope you have a wonderful Christmas. Have you any lovely food planned?
You’re welcome, Lauren. We ate a pretty plain Christmas dinner here: roast turkey with bread stuffing, pan gravy, mashed potatoes, tossed green salad, my Grandmother’s rolls, cranberry sauce, pies. But we make everything ourselves from scratch and it all tastes good. We have extra guests this year, so I’ll make cherry pie, Mom will make mince pie and my sister-in-law will make peanut pie (surprisingly good). All of the cookies and other things we’ve made sit on the dining room side board in case anyone gets hungry. Next year we may have duck since I’ve just found out my brother likes it. Happy Christmas to you!
What a great recipe and post! I’ve had kale several times – once it was disguised enough that I LOVED the dish, but often it’s just okay for me. This sounds like it may change my mind entirely! Thank you!
Thanks, Ann. Do you remember how the kale you liked was disguised?
Sounds delicious ! I tried to eat it raw once, and it was a bit much! Blanching sounds like it is the ticket….
Thanks for the award!! 🙂
You are welcome. I look forward to seeing what you choose to reveal and to future posts. Enjoy all of your celebrations of light.
Hope you have a wonderful holiday season!
Thank you, Melissa.
[…] Sharyn of The Kale Chronicles was nominated for the Versatile Blogger Award — and rightly so, I might add. (Do visit […]
Sharyn, There are so many things I wish to comment upon this post! First it was nice to learn more about you. I’ve enjoyed your art and now find your love in music and singing. You’re all around a very creative, talented woman! I know I will adore this Kale Salad with all the fun add ins! I’ve made my Kale Ceasar salad so many times I’m looking forward to a new recipe! Lastly, I so do thank you for the very kind mention and nomination for the Versatile Blog Award. Congrats to you for receiving it as you and your blog are very deserving of it. Hope you’re enjoying a happy holiday season and warmest wishes for a Happy New Year ahead!
Thank you, Linda. I will have to look up your Kale Caesar (It’s always good to have more than one plan during kale season).
[…] year could not start on a better note: just before we left for our (wonderful) trip, Sharyn, from The Kale Chronicles presented me with The Versatile Blogger Award! Who doesn’t like a little praise every […]
Mmm, finally some good instructions about a kale salad!
I like it — I hope you do, too. Thanks for stopping by.