Serious Pie’s Kale Salad (courtesy Tom Douglas)

Kale, washed, stems removed, dried, and roughly chopped
into about 3-inch pieces

Garlic oil *

Freshly squeezed lemon juice

Chopped Calabrian chilies **

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Grated Parmesan

Toasted pine nuts

Put the kale in a bowl and dress with garlic oil and lemon juice (using about twice as much oil as lemon juice).  Season to taste with chilies, salt, and pepper.  Use your hands to massage everything together well, then allow the salad to marinate 20 minutes before serving.

When you are ready to serve the salad, toss it with grated parmesan and portion it onto plates. Top each serving with more parmesan and some toasted pine nuts.

*To make garlic oil: simmer olive oil and whole garlic cloves on the stove until garlic is soft and slightly browned. Drain and reserve oil. Cool oil completely before using.

**You can buy jarred Calabrian chilies at Home Remedy in downtown Seattle [or find them online].

Whidbey Pies Café’s Kale and Quinoa Salad with Roasted Yams (serves 5-6)

This hearty recipe uses two types of winter greens: kale and lettuce. While fruit pies are the specialty of the charming café at Whidbey Island’s Greenbank Farm, this warm salad is one of the most popular items.

Ingredients:

3 cups cooked quinoa

2 bunches of kale torn into pieces approx. 2 inches

2 medium yams peeled and cubed in 1 inch squares

1 red onion

Raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

Dried cranberries

Butter lettuce

Vinaigrette (recipe below)

Directions:

1. Toss kale with olive oil and kosher salt. Place on baking sheet and roast in 400 degree oven until crisp. Approx. 10 minutes.

2. While kale is crisping, peel and cut yams into 1 inch cubes. Toss with olive oil and kosher salt, and roast in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes or until slightly caramelized and soft.

3. While the yams are roasting, thinly slice onion lengthwise and caramelize it in 1 tablespoon of olive oil on stove top. (approx. 15 minutes)

4. Toast pepitas on stovetop. (approx. 4 minutes)

5. Make vinaigrette:

½ cup balsamic vinegar

1 ½ tablespoons brown sugar

1 ½ tablespoons honey

2 garlic cloves minced or smashed

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Combine the above ingredients and mix until well dissolved. Add 2 cups extra virgin olive oil. Whisk to combine. (Vinaigrette keeps refrigerated for at least 10 days.)

6. Assemble the individual salads: Set two or three butter lettuce leaves in a shallow bowl and top with about a ½ cup mound of quinoa. Drizzle with 1-2 tablespoons vinaigrette. Arrange still-warm roasted yams on top. Sprinkle with caramelized onions, pepitas, and dried cranberries. Top with roasted kale and drizzle 1 to 2 tablespoons more of vinaigrette.