Man I Love This Tuscan Kale Salad!

Tim says, 
"This kale salad is fantastic. Darn near like eating candy."

Angie responds, 
"Well, I don't know about candy but this salad 
definitely wowed me."



This 
Tuscan Kale Salad 
is an excellent side with pasta.

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This Kale Salad is straight outta 
Dr. Weil's website.

But let's clarify what kind of kale...
this recipe calls for 
LACINATO kale, 
otherwise known as 
TUSCAN kale.

Tuscan Kale Salad
Straight outta Dr. Weil's website...check it out!
Ingredients
4-6 cups kale, loosely packed, sliced leaves of Italian black (Lacinato, "dinosaur," cavolo nero) midribs removed 
juice of 1 lemon 
3-4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 
2 cloves garlic, mashed 
salt & pepper, to taste 
hot red pepper flakes, to taste 
2/3 cup grated Pecorino Toscano cheese (Rosselino variety if you can find it) or other flavorful grating cheese such as Asiago or Parmesan 
1/2 cup freshly made bread crumbs from lightly toasted bread

 Instructions

1. Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and a generous pinch (or more to taste) of hot red pepper flakes.
2. Pour over kale in serving bowl and toss well.
3. Add 2/3 of the cheese and toss again.
4. Let kale sit for at least 5 minutes. Add bread crumbs, toss again, and top with remaining cheese.

Let's set the record straight on the difference between Curly kale (of which is the norm for most of us)....
looks totally familiar, right?...

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And now this is Tuscan Kale, more commonly known as Lacinato Kale

They also call it Dinosaur Kale.


But I say, 
yeah no, 
that is stoooopid. 
We will just continue to call it 
Lacinato Kale.

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Lacinato Kale 
will say it's specifically "Lacinato" 
on the tag.

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Tuscan or Lacinato Kale is different from 
Curly Kale 
by 
color 
and 
taste. 
Tuscan or Lacinato is a darker green (almost a blue green)  and it is a bit more bitter and earthy tasting. 
It's Delicious!

Okay, so here's the fixins for this fine salad...

First, 
remove the midrib thingies from the kale.

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Slice into ribbons...

I interrupt this exciting Tuscan Kale Salad post to bring you pictures of the marinara I threw together for the pasta that we were going to have as well. I chopped up red and yellow peppers, red onions, garlic, carrots and basil and threw them into organic diced tomatoes with a little bit of red wine and salt and pepper.. 

Okay, going back to the topic of today's post, the Tuscan KALE SALAD, anyhoo, get your lemon juice ready, olive oil, red pepper flakes, parm and garlic.

Mix the olive oil, garlic, fresh lemon juice, pepper flakes and salt and pepper. This smells great! 
It is at this point that you KNOW this is gonna to be a nice, light, tasty salad.

Mix that lovely dressing in.
You will want to make sure to toss the kale with the dressing, toss good, toss it real good. 

Leave no stone unturned here.

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Throw that freshly grated Parmesan 
on top.

---

Toss.

Together. 

Not out. 

Duh. 

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Ta-Daaa!!!! 
I present to you a blurry picture of this yummy kale salad!

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Saddle up this salad next to some pasta or a steak or veggie burger...just about anything!

As I said at the top of the post, Tim said this is darn near like eating candy.
(This coming from a man who would never touch a vegetable to save his soul 
just 5 or 10 years ago.) 
This Kale Salad is flavorful, a little sweet, a little savory, a tad spicy and light and refreshing.

To print the recipe, just click on the link and go to 
Dr. Weil's website. (I had to cut and paste recipe.) 
Dr. Weil's Tuscan Kale Salad.

So the other morning, 
the sun was just perfect about 6:30am and I went out to snap a few shots with my craptastic $100 high dolla camera....

I've finally comes to terms that every picture I take out here, 
SOMETHING always needs painted. 

I'm convinced little hobbits and gnomes live in this tree. And woodpeckers.

I was genuinely excited the other day to show Tim of a picture of a grain bin just like ours that had been converted into a cute, girly woman cave. 
He did NOT find it amusing one bit.

Looking to the west with the early morning east sun casting shadows. 
The only time I'll ever be tall and skinny in my life. 
It was fun while it lasted :)

Okay, tis all I gots for today!! 
(Remember, gots is a word....in the Pretend Word Dictionary)
Hope everyone has a great rest of the weekend! 
Thanks for checking in and we'll 
talk at ya soon!