Raw kale gets a bad press, but if you finely shred it and take care with the massaging, it transforms. The pickled cherries lighten the mood, bringin fruity, sweet-yet-sour bursts to each mouthful.
This recipe is created by Kathy Slack one of our Mindful Collaborators and Chefs and author of the cookbook ‘From the Veg Patch‘. The recipe has also been featured on the Nutrition App Zoe.
Serves 2
Time: 25mins
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp runny honey
- 100g cherries, stoned and halved
- 2 red onions
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 150g kale leaves (younger leaves are best, avoid anything old and wizened)
- 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- 1 tbsp sunflower seeds
- 50g walnut halves
Method
Start with the cherries. Combine the vinegar and honey in a bowl, add the halved cherries and muddle everything together. Set aside for at least 15 minutes (but up to 24 hours) to pickle.
Peel the onions and cut into wedges. Break apart the layers a little then toss in one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt. Arrange in a baking tin and roast at 210C for 15 minutes until charred at the edges.
Meanwhile, wash the kale (evicting any caterpillars), strip the leafy part of the kale from the stalks and trim any damaged tips (both for the compost bin) . Role the leafy greenery into a fat cigar and shred into very fine ribbons. Take your time, it needs to be almost vermicelli noodle fine. Transfer to a bowl and add the remaining three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil plus two tablespoons of the cherry pickling juice and a pinch of salt. Now, here’s where we transform the rough, tough kale into a delicate sweet raw salad: massage the olive and pickling juices into the kale ribbons. Think deep tissue rather than relaxing spa day and go hard for about a minute. The kale will become soft and yielding. Set aside to recover for a minute.
Put a dry frying pan over a medium heat and add the pumpkin and sunflower seeds and the walnuts. Toast for 3-5 minutes until just golden.
Tip the nuts and seeds into the kale along with the pickled cherries (drained of any remaining liquor) and the roast onions. Toss with gentle hands then pile everything onto plates and serve.
Discover more recipes from Kathy Slack Here
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