Weekend Recipe - Kale Salad

With walnuts, cranberries and kale this could easily be a fall recipe, but I find this kind of salad a perfect dish int he spring when I really want garden produce and the garden is not producing yet!

Kale Salad

2 cups fresh cranberries

4 to 5 cloves garlic, unpeeled

1 /3  cup olive oil

1 /4  cup lemon juice

1 Tbsp. Dijon-style mustard

2 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel

4 cups chopped kale

2 cups cooked wild rice, cooled

1 small bulb fennel, cored and shaved or cut into very thin wedges

1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

1/ 2  cup thinly sliced red sweet pepper

1 /2 cup thinly sliced red onion

1.      Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 15x10x1-inch baking pan with foil or parchment. Place cranberries and garlic cloves on pan. Drizzle with 1 Tbsp. of the olive oil; sprinkle with  1/4 tsp. each salt and ground pepper. Roast, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes or until garlic is softened and cranberries are browned at the edges and wrinkled. Cool slightly.

2.      Remove garlic peels; finely chop garlic cloves.

3.      For dressing, combine in a screw-top jar the chopped garlic, remaining olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, and lemon peel. Cover and shake well. Season to taste with salt & pepper.

4.      In a large bowl combine cranberries, kale, wild rice, fennel, walnuts, sweet pepper, and onion. Pour dressing over salad; toss to coat. Makes 9 cups (serves 12)

Weekend Recipe - Fennel and Apple Slaw

This weekend's recipe can be used as part of adult fare for a Halloween get together.  The seasonal vegetables and herbs as well as the colors will lend itself to a Halloween themed party.

We are sharing other Halloween themed recipes all during the month, check out these posts we have already completed:

The licorice flavor of Fennel  adds a great tang to the seasonal apples.  You can make this one ahead so you are not crafting it at the last minute and it is easily doubled for a larger group.

Fennel, Apple and Celery Slaw

1 Tbls. cider vinegar
1 Tbls molasses
1 tsp. Dijon Mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. celery seed
1/4 cup olive oil
1 fennel bulb, trimmed cored and cut into very thin strips (I use a mandolin)
2 Granny Smith apples, cored and cut into strips
2 Gala Apples, cored and cut into strips
2 ribs of celery, thinly sliced

Whisk together the vinegar, molasses, mustard, salt pepper and celery seed in  a large bowl; slowly pour in oil, whisking constantly.  Add the cut up fennel, apples and celery to the dressing and toss to coat.  Cover and chill for up to 4 hours before serving.  Toss well be fore putting on the table.  Serves 8.

For those who prefer a more traditional slaw, this recipe with caraway has been very popular in my household!

Cool Caraway Coleslaw

2 cups green cabbage - shredded
1 cup red cabbage - shredded
1 cup carrots - peeled and shredded
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
Use a food processor to shred the cabbage and carrots then add them to a large mixing bowl. In a small bowl mix together the remaining ingredients until all the sugar is dissolved to make the dressing. Pour the dressing over the shredded vegetables and mix together. Store the coleslaw in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Makes 4 cups of coleslaw.