We get lots of kale from our farm share. I’ve tried dealing with it various ways over the years - for example, freezing it to use in winter soups. But even so, I usually fall behind. Kale just isn’t a “go to” vegetable in my brain, especially not in the summer. But I tried this recipe tonight, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Maybe kale will be easier to use up now that I have a “favorite” recipe for it! I imagine this would be good with Asian foods, and good to take in for lunch.

Local ingredients: kale (a mixture of lacinato and green curly), garlic, honey.

Sesame Kale Salad

1 pound fresh kale (or chard, spinach, or other greens)
2 Tab soy sauce
2 Tab toasted sesame oil
1 Tab toasted sesame seeds
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp honey (or other sweetener)
1 Tab apple cider vinegar
dash of black or ground red pepper, or more to taste

Separate kale leaves from stems. Chop stems and greens. Steam stems a couple of minutes, then add the greens and steam until just tender. Drain; let kale cool enough to handle it. Squeeze out as much water as possible. Place in serving bowl. Mix the remaining ingredients in another bowl; add to greens. Mix, chill, and serve. Makes 4-6 servings.

(I skipped the “chill” step, because it was dinnertime!) Recipe found on p 96 in From Asparagus to Zucchini, which says that it is “Adapted from Extending the Table: A World Community Cookbook, by Joetta Hendrich Schlabach.”

(click through to see original)

Personally, I have difficulties with the whole “tasting” process, where connoisseurs identify notes and elements in a flavor, but even so, this comic made me laugh and go hmmmm… The sad thing is, for many packaged snack foods, what else could you detect but tartrazine or potassium citrate?