Chopped Kale Salad with Bacon, Dates & Pecans

Chopped Kale Salad with Bacon, Dates & Kale

Two co-workers were talking about the best kale salad ever at this fancy restaurant downtown — Oak. They both noted that it was most memorable part of their meal. The salad.

That conversation got my mind going, and somehow I invented a story in my head about that salad. In my mind, it had pecans, dates, and even bacon. It wasn’t just kale, there were other greens to lighten it up. And the dressing was tangy and sweet but not overpowering. I thought about that salad so much that I went ahead and made it (because why not?).

Chopped Kale Salad with Bacon, Dates & Kale
Chopped Kale Salad with Bacon, Dates & Kale

It wasn’t until I went to write this post that I remembered the original inspiration (Oak’s famous salad), and figured I should probably look up what their kale salad actually contains. Boy was I off the mark!

Shaved Apple & Kale Salad. Grana Padano, togarashi, candied almonds.

I guess I have to just go try the original. Until then, I’m going to pretend my own kale salad is just as famous.

Chopped Kale Salad with Bacon, Dates & Kale

Chopped Kale Salad with Bacon, Dates & Pecans

Published October 4, 2018 by

Serves: 4   |    Active Time: 20 minutes



Ingredients:


For the Salad:
  • 4 kale leaves, chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • Sprinkle of salt
  • Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup romaine, shredded
  • 1 cup radicchio, shredded
  • 6 medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped
  • 4 slices cooked bacon, cooled and chopped in bite sized pieces
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

  • Directions:

    1. Place kale in a salad bowl. Drizzle lightly with oil and a sprinkle of salt. Using your hands, “massage” the kale, rubbing the leaves with your hands until they are bright green and tender. This will make them easier to eat.
    2. Add shredded romaine and radicchio to the bowl, and toss to combine. Add bacon, dates, and pecans.
    3. Combine first four ingredients for vinaigrette in a small jar and shake to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle over salad to your tastes and toss. Serve.

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    Chickpea Antipasto Salad

    Chickpea Antipasto Salad

    In the kitchen, there is the sound of a ticking clock. From the open sliding door on my right, the leaves rustling in the breeze. The high today is seventy-one degrees. The last time I could say that was probably early April, and it feels like a treat. 

    We had no idea what to expect when we arrived in McCall. Boise is surrounded by golden dry hills, the city itself an sprawl of big box department stores. But the further north you go the more trees you find, and the grasses begin to turn green. As you coast down the road into McCall's center you spot Lake Payette, like a gem in the rough. 

    Here, I'm going to be soaking up the cooler weather -- currently drinking orange cinnamon tea - but back home, I'm still defaulting to no-cook, no-bake, minimal effort meals, like this Chickpea Antipasto Salad. 

    This dish is a bit like pasta salad, minus the pasta, and all you do is mix. That's right: skip the oven, skip the stove, and even skip dishes -- it's a one-bowl wonder. 

    Antipasto pasta salad is a picnic classic, with olives, artichokes, sun dried tomatoes, and cheese. But I wanted to make a version that didn’t use pasta. Something gluten-free with more nutrients per bite. Chickpeas are the perfect option here — they have a starchy quality that makes them a good filler, though they are also filling, more so than pasta, and in a good way. So there you have it, a way to fill those pasta salad cravings when you don’t want to fill your stomach with pasta.

    You can make this salad ahead of time and chill it. Served over a few fresh lettuce leaves, it makes for a great make-ahead lunch in the middle of summer! Or, put everything in a large serving dish and tote your chickpea antipasto salad along to a potluck.

    Chickpea Antipasto Salad
    Chickpea Antipasto Salad

    Chickpea Antipasto Salad

    Published August 23, 2018 by

    Serves: 4-6   |    Active Time: 10 minutes



    Ingredients:

  • 2 sixteen-ounce cans chickpeas, drained
  • 1/4 cup red onion, minced
  • 1 cup artichoke hearts, quartered and drained
  • 1/2 cup sliced sun dried tomatoes in oil, drained
  • 1/2 cup sliced kalamata olives, pitted and drained
  • 1/3 cup pesto
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil, minced
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 cup feta crumbles
  • Optional: serve over a bed of butterhead lettuce

  • Directions:

    1. In a medium size mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and stir to combine.
    2. Serve immediately, or make a day ahead of time, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
    3. Optionally, serve over a bed of butterhead lettuce leaves.

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    Roasted Zucchini, Corn & Basil Salad

    Roasted Zucchini, Corn & Basil Salad

    This salad is made of three quintessential mid-summer crops: corn, zucchini, and basil.

    Zucchini is one of my all-time favorite veggies, because it’s so versatile. It’s good sautéd, raw, zoodled, or in this case, roasted (any grill masters out there? You can do the roasting over an open flame if that’s more your style!). Use young zucchini in this recipe. They are more tender, have smaller seeds, and you can simply cut them in half (the long way) rather than into strips. Yellow summer squash would work well too! 

    There’s a saying, “things that grow together go together,” and it’s certainly the case here. Roasted zucchini needs little in terms of seasoning, but a little fresh basil brightens this dish up. Good warm or cold, this salad is the perfect backyard grill out side dish! To turn this recipe into a heartier salad, one you could eat for lunch, try adding shredded parmesan and diced avocado. 

    Roasted Zucchini, Corn & Basil Salad
    Roasted Zucchini, Corn & Basil Salad
    Roasted Zucchini, Corn & Basil Salad

    Roasted Zucchini, Corn & Basil Salad

    Published July 24, 2018 by

    Serves: 4   |    Active Time: 30 minutes



    Ingredients:

  • 4 small zucchini
  • 3 cobs of corn
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil
  • 2-3 tablespoons olive oil

  • For the vinaigrette:
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon honey or maple syrup

  • Directions:

    1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Slice the zucchini into long strips, about 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch thick. Brush zucchini and corn with olive oil and place on sheet pan. Bake for 20 minutes, until softened. Turn oven to high broil, and cook for 3-5 more minutes, just to get the corn and zucchini really roasted. (Note: You can also do this step on your grill, and skip the oven!)
    2. Allow zucchini and corn to cool so that you can handle them with out burning yourself. Arrange zucchini in a salad bowl, and then use a knife to cut the kernels from each corn cob. Add kernels to the bowl. Cut basil chiffonade style, reserving a few whole leaves for garnish, and add to the bowl. Toss everything to combine.
    3. Combine all ingredients for the dressing in a jar and shake. Pour over salad, top with reserved basil leaves, and serve.

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