Sorry people - salad again. We've always felt like our salad repertoire was just well, sad. So for the sake of personal improvement we've decided to work on it. Also - meager little confession - we want to eat more kale.
To make this salad, take one bunch of kale and remove the tough stems, then tear the leaves into bite size pieces. Next add 2 ½ ounces goats' milk Gouda cheese cut into ¼ inch to ½ inch pieces, some chives cut into inch lengths, a ½ cup of walnuts, and thinly sliced Anjou pear. (We didn't have a ripe pear on hand, so we substituted with a crisp apple in its place). For cutting the apple nice and super-thin don't even get me started on the love felt for a mandoline slicer. How did we ever live without one?
The salad was delicious. The Gouda and apple, when eaten together, formed a serious pair bond that kept being sought out by the fork. But here's the thing about raw kale -- it's hearty, not exactly supple. So be prepared to chew. We found ourselves being more conscious of chewing while we were eating this salad. But aren't we supposed to slow down and chew food anyway? Look for Russian kale when making this salad, as it is more likely to be tender and less bitter.
