One of my favorite aspects of gardening is when Terry and I are on our daily ‘garden cruise' and notice one of our crops that is demanding to be included in our dinner menu.  Last week, my kale hit its stride, especially the Curly one.  

Dinner that night was a family favorite, Chipotle Turkey Chili, and a Kale Salad would be a great accompaniment.  

Unless you've been hiding out under a rock in front of McDonald's for the past 5 years, you know that Kale has been touted as one of the.healthiest. foods.ever.   Not surprisingly, Kale has been listed in Time's Top 50 Healthiest Foods, due to the fact that it lowers cancer risk, supports bone health and aids in natural detoxification.  But here's what you might not know about Kale; ounce for ounce it has more vitamin C than an orange, it's health boosting phytochemicals are made even more effective when consumed with fats and, sadly, it is in the top 15 of most-pesticided (yeah, I made that word up) vegetables.

So, the moral of that story is:  Eat your Organic Kale with Olive Oil and/or Avocados (or other healthy fats)

With that in mind, here's a great recipe for a Kale Salad with Fried Capers and Parmesan Cheese

Kale Salad with Fried Capers and Parmesan Cheese

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 7 minutes

Total Time: 22 minutes

A delicious kale salad tossed with fried capers and Parmesan cheese

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Ingredients

• 1 bunch kale, leaves removed from stem and torn into bite size pieces
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 garlic cloves, grated
• 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Parmesan cheese shaved with carrot/potato peeler

For Fried Capers

• 1/4 cup large capers, also called capotes
• 2 TB cornmeal
• 2 TB olive oil

Instructions

Prepare Capers

1. Heat skillet over medium high heat and add oil
2. Gently toss capers with cornmeal
3. Add capers to oil and fry for approximately 5-7 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and drain on paper towel

For Salad

1. Mix olive oil, lemon juice, grated garlic and soy sauce together and pour over kale, massaging dressing into leaves.
2. Place in serving bowl and top with capers and Parmesan cheese.
3. Enjoy!

When we were garden cruising, we spied this little guy busy on the sweet alyssum.  We saved Flora, the pretty princess, from a sore mouth, and the bee from suffering a worse fate.

 Thanks again for spending a few minutes of your busy day with me today. Know that you are appreciated and that I welcome each and every comment that comes my way. If you want to make sure you don’t miss future content, pop your email in the beige box up on the right or click here.  I usually send out 2-3 emails a week, so I won’t inundate your inbox…believe me, I’m sensitive to an overflowing email inbox!  

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