When I first moved to LA, my friend Marta Tracy took me to lunch at True Food Kitchen in Santa Monica and ordered the kale salad there. The healthy-minded peeps here are obsessed with kale everything so I figured I would give it a try. The salad was so delicious that I wanted to make it myself at home. My entire family regularly eats it now (yes...even the kids) and it's always a big hit when I serve it to guests. Here's the recipe...enjoy!
Ingredients
4-6 cups kale, loosely packed, sliced leaves of Italian black (Lacinato, "dinosaur," cavolo nero) midribs removed
juice of 1 lemon
3-4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, mashed
salt & pepper, to taste
hot red pepper flakes, to taste
2/3 cup grated Pecorino Toscano cheese (Rosselino variety if you can find it) or other flavorful grating cheese such as Asiago or Parmesan
1/2 cup freshly made bread crumbs from lightly toasted bread
Instructions
Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and a generous pinch (or more to taste) of hot red pepper flakes.
Pour over kale in serving bowl and toss well.
Add 2/3 of the cheese and toss again.
Let kale sit for at least 5 minutes. Add bread crumbs, toss again, and top with remaining cheese.