How to Prepare A Lacinato Kale Tossed Salad, easy prep with delicious results.

I have become a fan of Lacinato Kale in my salad bowl. For me, a salad with a bit of "chew" as well as enough structure to hold onto the dressing is my favorite choice in salad greens. You will probably find a few other names for this type of kale such as Dinosaur Kale, and Tucson Kale. Usually, my local market offers it as Tucson Kale. 

The wonderful thing about kale is that it can be grown until early March after the frost hits, making it available for winter salads. In our area, there are many organic farmers who have hoop houses, and kale is grown through the winter here, making salads easy to produce. Kale is also perfect for the home gardener.

Kale is easy to prepare, keeps well, is nutritious and the salad isn't bad either! My favorite way to be salad ready is to get a couple of bunches of kale, wash it well, remove the center rib, cut the leaves into bite-sized pieces, and store them in the refrigerator.

 

I prefer a plastic bag with a folded-up clean cotton towel in the bottom to absorb excess moisture. You may also use a bowl with a tight-fitting lid. With the prep completed, a salad is only moments away. Kale Salad isn't any different than your standard tossed greens, with your favorite dressing. The main difference is in nutrition and fiber. 

Wash the kale leaves in a sink of tepid water. Lift up the leaves, let drain and return to the water. After a few moments, any dirt particles will have settled to the bottom of the water. 

Let drain on cotton toweling.

 

Remove the center rib/stem. It is very tough and will ruin your salad! 

You may simply tear the leaf away from the stem or you can use a "stripping" method by holding the end of the stem with one hand, place the thumb and index finger of the other hand squeezing gently on each side and strip the leaf away from the stem. Either way works fine. 

Cut the upper portion of the leaf where the rib/stem ends, in two. Stack the leaves. If they are quite large a lengthwise cut is advised to avoid overly large pieces. Then cut crosswise into squares. 

After you have made crosswise cuts, feel free to make sure the pieces are not too large for you. We all have a preferred style of salad making and serving. If adjustments are needed, now is the time...

Place the cut kale into the storage container of your choice. We have such a small fridge, this reusable bag (I wash and reuse plastic bags until no use remains!) works best for any usable space. 

At our house, the scraps and the ribs are cut for the hens!

To make a salad, place the amount of cut Lacinato Kale into a large bowl. 

Take a handful of the kale, and squeeze it, release, continue to squeeze, and release until all the kale in the bowl has been "massaged". 

Add grated carrot and some grape tomatoes and enjoy with the salad dressing of your choice. 

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