Strawberry Kale Salad
Make some strawberry kale salad.
I just got back from doing a cooking demonstration at the Asheville City Market and had a great time talking with the local farmers and the visitors there! One great way to fix kale salad is to add the fruit that is in season. Right now, it is strawberries and this time of year.
I can’t get enough of fresh, local berries. In fact, they might be my very favorite fruit, but it is hard to say. Ask me when the blueberries come in season. I always buy more than I can eat each week and freeze the rest to eat throughout the year. So today at the market, I made a strawberry kale salad. Here is how I did it, but you can get creative and find other ways to make it delicious!
Recipe for Strawberry Kale Salad
Strawberry Kale Salad
4 c local chopped kale
1 c stemmed, sliced local strawberries
2 TB locally-made balsamic vinegar
1/3-½ c olive oil
1/3 c locally grown nuts
¼ c local feta cheese
¼ tsp salt or season blend
Pepper to taste if desired
In a large bowl, add kale and strawberries. In a small bowl, add balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and seasonings. Mix lightly with the kale and strawberries. Top with feta and nuts.
Makes 4-5 servings.
Massaging the Kale for Salad
One really cool thing that I had the chance to share with some of the visitors who came to sample the salad was the fact that I had massaged the kale! Many people find kale a little coarse, big, and fibrous to eat raw. In fact, many salad bars have big pieces of kale that I don’t even find delicious to eat myself. However, I have found that after I cut it up into small pieces, I run the kale through my hands for a couple of minutes, and it becomes soft and easy to chew. I have even heard that massaging makes it easier to digest and may release some food enzymes that are beneficial to health, but I will have to do a little research on that.
Variations for Kale Fruit Salad
So, what do we do when the strawberry season ends? I have great news for you! Try blueberries and blackberries in the summer! Here is a blackberry, cabbage, carrot and kale recipe
Then there is Tempeh Blueberry Kale Salad
Here is a recipe for Raspberry Kale Salad.
Make Some Strawberry Kale Salad
Visiting the farmers’ market is a great time to meet who grows your food and how they grow it. I had a chance to meet some of the farmers that I have had a chance to known for some time. Some of them are even in my book Farm Fresh Nutrition. In addition, I had a chance to get to know farmers that I had not met before. I am so fortunate to live in Western North Carolina, where we have a lot of great farmers’ who bring food to the markets, restaurants, and other places here where we can purchase it!
It is great to have a simple base and change it up based on the seasons. I hope some of my favorite spring and summer ways to make kale will inspire you to create a new collection of healthy meal-planning recipes. As a registered dietitian nutritionist in Asheville, I love to help my clients find delicious recipes using fresh seasonal ingredients! You can find out a little more about me here.
Soon, summer will be over, and we will be heading for fall. it will be time to add apples and pears to your kale salad. Winter squash also pairs well with kale. Here are some additional winter squash recipes!