Raw Kale Salad

There is nothing like the chewy bite of raw kale, but you’ll want the bright green younger leaves for salad—try a local farmers market for just-picked spring leaves. Mature kale is fibrous and difficult to eat raw. This exceptionally nutritious salad can be turned into supper with the addition of a few canned sardine fillets and a cup of cooked quinoa. The vinaigrette will keep for a few days, so you might want to make a double batch.

Ingredients

• 1 bunch kale
• 2 carrots
• 1 cup seedless grapes, sliced in half
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
• Salt
• 1/2 cup garlic cloves, blanched
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise

Wash the kale thoroughly; it’s a magnet for sand and grit. Remove the tough stalk from each leaf, then pile several leaves on top of one another. Slice as thinly as you can across the pile, yielding fine strips of kale. Repeat with all the leaves.

Peel the carrots, discarding the outer skin. Continue to peel the carrot into thin shards, collecting the pieces in a bowl as they fall. This is a nice way to get all the flavor of the carrot while removing the (in this case) distracting crunchy texture. Add in the grapes, almonds, and kale. Season to taste with salt.

For the vinaigrette, purée the garlic with the vinegar and olive oil in a blender and season with salt. Put the mayonnaise in a small bowl and add the purée slowly to it, whisking to combine.

Toss the salad with as much vinaigrette as you like and allow it to sit for at least 10 minutes before serving, to soften the leaves a little and combine the flavors.

Serves 4 as a side dish