One of the hi-lights of our last day in Paso Robles was lunch at Justin Winery. The restaurant features a small, farm-to-table menu. The views overlooking the vineyards were amazing and the food even better. One of the things that I ordered was a kale cesar salad. We both decided it was so good we'd have to try and make it at home.
Wouldn't you know we received a HUGE bunch of kale in our CSA delivery this week!
On Friday we had 'make your own pizza night' and we decided that the cesar salad would be perfect with the menu.
After searching for some time online we found this recipe and decided to try it out. The recipe is by Anne Burrell and was shared online by the folks at the Food Network.
It was a bit more work that our regular cesar salad recipe (i.e. tear romaine lettuce, dump on jarred dressing, pre-made croutons, bacon bits, grated cheese and toss) but WOW was it worth it! One of the complaints that I have about kale salads is the kale can be a bit tough . . . there is only so much work I want to do whilst eating salad people! Because you put the dressing on in advance the acid in the dressing serves to soften the kale a bit making it perfect.
The only thing I'll do differently next time is to add the croutons in last- I thought that they got a bit soggy. After going to all of that work to make fresh croutons the last thing I wanted was a soggy croton. LOL
Kale Cesar Salad
Extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, smashed
Pinch of crushed red pepper
2 slices of day-old Italian bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 to 3 anchovy fillets (NOTE: we used anchovy paste)
2 shakes Worcestershire sauce
Kosher salt
1 bunch of kale, tough stems removed, cut into ribbons
Coat a large saute pan with olive oil. Toss in half the garlic and the crushed red pepper and bring the pan to medium heat. Cook the garlic until it becomes golden and very aromatic, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the garlic and ditch it-it has fulfilled its garlic destiny. Toss in the bread cubes and cook, stirring frequently, until they are golden, crisp, and have absorbed all the oil, like little olive oil sponges. Remove from the heat and reserve.
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the Parmigiano, lemon zest and juice, the remaining garlic, the Dijon, anchovies, and Worcestershire. Puree until the mixture is smooth, 15 to 20 seconds. With the machine running, add 1/4 to 1/3 cup olive oil through the feed tube. Let the processor continue to run for another 10 to 15 seconds. Taste and season with salt if needed.
In a large bowl, toss the kale with the croutons and two-thirds of the dressing. Let the kale sit for 3 to 4 minutes to soften. Taste, add the remaining dressing, and adjust the seasoning if needed.
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