Kale Salad with Cherries, Almonds and Feta

I went to the grocery. Exciting, huh? Actually, most of the time, I do enjoy going to the grocery. It must be in my blood as my grandfather and uncle were both grocers. For me shopping is always a bit like a treasure hunt in the quest to discover something new to try. This time I found baby kale leaves. I’ve tried the big ones but these are much easier to use because you just open the plastic container.

Did you know that a kale serving of two cups has 2g of fiber and 3g of protein? Since many veggies don’t have protein I now see why kale is touted as a healthy food. And baby kale is good. It also keeps well even if it has salad dressing on it as it doesn’t wilt  overnight if kept in the fridge.

Last night I was invited to a friend’s house for an impromptu dinner as we both had yet to compare notes on our kid’s graduations. Needless to say we ran out of time yakking and still have a lot of ground to cover. But we were busy eating and sipping wine in between all that yakking. And a good meal it was. She made artichokes and a grilled red meat trout and I brought this salad invention. Next time you want a simple meal keep it in mind. Just make sure you have someone to yak with. In my opinion yakking always makes the food taste better.

Kale Salad with Cherries, Feta and Almonds

1T balsamic vinegar

1T raspberry vinegar

1t stone ground mustard

1 1/2t honey

3T olive oil

Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

½ t rosemary

Stir together vinegars, mustard and honey. Whisk in olive oil. Add seasonings to taste.

(This is also good made with sherry vinegar but you may need to up the honey a smidge. If you are not a fan of rosemary I think mint would be a great substitute.)

Salad (Serves 2 as a main course and 4 as a side)

2 finely chopped green onions

8 fresh cherries, pitted and sliced

¼ c cubed or crumbled feta

1/4c chopped almonds

4c baby kale

Mix together and toss with about 2T of dressing. You can add more if you like a lot.

(Crumbled goat cheese would be a great substitute for feta. Apples, raspberries, grapes, dried apricots would also work instead of cherries, though you have to get those cherries while you can!)