Until quite recently, kale was only familiar to me as a decorative vegetable, sheltering the lines of slice-able meats and sausages at the deli counter which I was to meticulously stock for work.
Yet today, kale proved to be an insightful muse, balancing the bright parsley, thinly sliced fennel, and sweet carrots in a metal bowl that I unceremoniously clanged against the counter and filled to the brim with this tough yet nutrient-laden vegetable of a purple hue.
It's delicious, filled with texture, versatile, and so packed with so many good things that you'll feel more satisfied than you would if you had eaten a giant steak. Try it!
I find myself listening more these days to the sounds that a day emits between the various stopping points that we have collectively established (breakfast, lunch, and dinner of course :)) There's a music behind the hum of the public transit systems, sputtering car engines, playful shouts of children, seemingly all-knowing caw's of the birds. There's also a beauty in those brief moments of silence where columns of noise seem to stop vibrating and stand still. It is in these moments that I realize that despite the fact that there are billions of people teeming on this earth, sometimes nobody has anything to say. And that's quite alright with me.
Anyway, onwards to the kale!
Summer Kale Salad
Consider this a base, and add anything from pumpin seeds to avocado
One bunch kale
One fresh fennel bulb
2 carrots
handful of parsley, chopped
2 green onions (*optional)
juice of one lemon
1 teaspoon agave nectar syrup
salt and pepper to taste
Wash the fennel and slice against the grain into thin pieces, add to a large salad bowl.
Rinse the kale in a colander and let sit for two minutes (so that any dirt falls to the bottom). Dry the kale and either chop or tear into small-ish strips, add to the bowl.
Wash and slice the green onions and carrots, add to the bowl.
Squeeze the lemon on the mixture, adding the agave nectar syrup, salt, and pepper to taste.
Toss and enjoy!
