Kale salad
I've made this a number of times and it's always very good.
Raw Kale Salad, With a nod to Ceasar
1 bunch kale, preferably the long, skinny variety known as lacinato or Tuscan, but other varieties work well too; washed and patted dry with a towel
2-4 olive oil packed anchovy filets, pulled from a jar
1 clove of garlic, the fresher the better
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
About a tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
About a half cup of freshly grated Parmesan or other hard, flavorful cheese
Stack the dry kale leaves on top of each other and roll them lengthwise into a cylinder. Slice them crosswise into thin strips, stems and all, down to where the leaves end. (This last bit is controversial; I bet fancy restaurants remove the stems. I find that if you cut the kale finely enough, the stems are just fine.) Now rotate your cutting board 90 degrees and slice the kale strips again, as thinly as you can. You should have a pile of kale confetti. Don't worry if the pieces aren't particularly uniform. Place the chopped kale into a salad bowl.
Now make the dressing. If you have a good mortar and pestle, add the anchovies and garlic to the mortar, topping them with a pinch of salt and a grind of pepper. Crush them into a paste. (If you don't have a mortar and pestle, mince the garlic and anchovies into a paste on a cutting board, topping them with a bit of salt halfway through the process and adding the paste to a small bowl.) Add the lemon juice to the paste, and whisk with a fork to incorporate. Now do the same with the olive oil. (Don't fuss over achieving a perfect emulsion.)
Give the dressing a final stir and immediately pour half of it onto the kale in the salad bowl. Using your hands, massage it briskly into the chopped greens. If the salad seems too dry, add a bit more dressing, taking care not to over do it. (You may have leftover dressing, which will keep well overnight.) When the kale is evenly dressed and well massaged, add the cheese and a good grind of pepper, and taste for seasoning adding more salt (or dressing) if necessary. Toss, and serve. Or let it marinate a while while you cook the rest of dinner.
http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2012/08/toms-kitchen-raw-kale-salad
