Summer Fun
Summer is here folks! Well, at least in my part of the world, it is here. Schools are out, and as my keyboard is clicking away at this blog post, I can hear kids screaming in glee as they race along the sidewalks and frolic in our neighbor’s swimming pools. We have interesting and colorful chalk graffiti on the walking path that stretches for miles behind our home – Chloe has a crush on Brandon, Leah is sad about the plight of the Planet, and some kids have kept score of their hopscotch game. Senior parents are ambling on their walks or sitting on benches catching up with other visiting parents. Yes, summer is indeed here.
What comes to mind when you think of the word ‘summer’? For me, the word ‘picnic’ is the first to flash. Good friends laughing, chatting, eating and drinking outdoors. Maybe the food is laid out on a picnic table that’s been draped with a colorful tablecloth. Pitchers of sangria, lemonade and kombucha are starting to sweat.
Summer Salads
Summer also brings more salads into my kitchen. And this is a perfect salad for those hot summer days. You can dig into this crisp, cool salad for a perfect summer meal. Your guests will love it too!
Mouthwatering Kale-Pear-Turnip-Goat Cheese Salad
Unlike other salads, kale salad needs a good massaging, especially with the mature leaves of the dinosaur and Lacinto variety (not so much with baby kale, but it won’t hurt). Massaging the dressing into kale is what takes it from tasting like dry tasteless weeds to tender flavorful salad. When we are adding softer ingredients like fruits or crumbled cheese, the massaging should be done before adding those ingredients, so they don’t get smashed.
If you are already a salad lover, do browse through our terrific salad selection:
- Tangy-ly Spicy Sweet Jicama Salad
- Summery Quinoa Salad
- Sprouts Carrot Salad
- Raw Dosakaya Salad
- Colorfully-Crunchy Strawberry Grape Salad
- Harvest Salad with Spinach-Apple-Pomegranate
- Tabbouli / Tabouli / Tabbouleh Salad (Parsley Salad)
- Delicious Carrot-Cucumber Kosumbari Salad
- Zesty Carrot Garbanzo Usli
Eating salad almost every day may be one of the most healthy eating habits you can adopt — and one of the simplest, experts say. A recent study from the National Cancer Institute suggests that people whose diets are rich in fruits and vegetables may have a lower risk of developing cancers — even those who smoke and drink heavily!!
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Kale-Pear-Turnip-Goat Cheese Salad
Ingredients
For Salad:
- 2 Cups Kale - Purple Dinosaur Kale
- 1/4 Cup Onion - Red
- 1/2 Cup Turnip - Sliced thin and long
- 1/2 Cup Red Radish - Thinly Sliced discs
- 1/2 Cup Yellow Bell Peppers - Sliced thin and long
- 1/4 Cup Pear - Sliced thin and long
- 2 Tablespoons Goat Cheese - Crumbled. Skip if vegan
For Dressing:
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil - Use high quality
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 2 Tablespoons Tahini
- 1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt - Or to taste
- 1/4 Teaspoon Red Chili Flakes - Or to taste
Instructions
- Get creative with your veggie/fruit combinations. For this recipe, I have purple dinosaur kale, turnip, red radish, yellow bell pepper, purple onion and a semi-ripe pear.
- Separate the kale leaves from the stalks. Shred the kale leaves. Compost the stalks. Add half the dressing and massage the kale leaves with your fingers. This will make them softer and cause them to wilt a bit.
- Cut the bell pepper, turnip and onion into long thin slices. Thinly slice the red radish. Cut the pear into small cubes. Add everything into a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, mix all the dressing ingredients (olive oil, lemon juice, tahini, salt and red chili flakes) well. Add the dressing to the salad and toss.
- Sprinkle cut up goat cheese and serve!
