kale salad with cherries & walnuts

{vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free,vegetarian}

Hopefully you get this recipe before the time cherry season ends, but if not, go ahead and swap the cherries for fresh peaches or any seasonal fruit.  When I first made this recipe, I had so many cherries from the market, I was stewing them down into sauces, blending them into smoothies and tossing them into this salad. 

It's such a simple recipe and one that will do just fine served as leftovers.  The ripe cherries burst in your mouth and the walnuts provide a nice crunch.  Shaved grana parma will make the salad elegant for a dinner party but if you want to keep it dairy-free it’s great without it.  Make sure to give your kale a good massage with the vinaigrette, this breaks it down and yields a tender texture. I

Bon appetit!

//Tools//

knife

cutting board

serving bowl

salad spoons

peeler to shaving optional parmesan

//Ingredients//

1 bunch curly or lacinto kale, de-stemmed and torn or chopped into small pieces

1 cup cherries with stems and seeds removed, halved or quartered

1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped

optional shaved grana parma

Vinaigrette

1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

5 tablespoons high quality olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

//Directions//

Whisk together the ingredients for the vinaigrette.  Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.  Combine the kale and vinaigrette into a salad bowl.  Massage the  kale, using your hands, for one to two minutes, or until the kale feels tender. If possible, allow the salad to marinate for at least an hour.  When you are ready to serve, add the sliced cherries and walnuts.  Toss together and taste; add salt and pepper as needed and top with fresh shaved parmesan.