4th of July Kale Salad

4th of July Kale Salad

Kale is a nutritional powerhouse and one thing we love about it – from a farmer’s perspective – is that it continues to grow well into the heat of the summer. Massaging the kale breaks down the leaf structure just a bit for a softer texture that’s more pleasant to eat raw.

This festive red, white and blue salad makes a balanced make-ahead lunch and also would be fitting to take to 4th of July gatherings.  If it’s not summer, don’t sweat! Here are our favorite swaps depending in the season.

Instead of sunflower seeds, kohlrabi, strawberries, and blueberries, try these seasonal combos:

• Fall | pumpkin seeds + diced golden beet + red & green apple + red cabbage

• Winter | pecans + sliced fennel + chopped pear + turnips

• Spring | sliced almonds + chopped asparagus + sliced radish + chopped baby carrot

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 bunch kale (roughly 10-12 leaves), removed from stem and chopped into bite-sized pieces

• Pinch of sea salt (our Smoked Garlic Artisanal Salt is ah-mazing!)

• ¼ cup sunflower seeds

• 1 small kohlrabi, peeled and finely chopped (or cut into cute star shapes with a cookie cutter)

• 1 cup strawberries, sliced

• ½ cup blueberries

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Thoroughly wash and dry destemmed, chopped kale and put into a large serving bowl. Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt over the top and massage the salt into the kale, so that the leaves soften and shrink slightly.  Set aside.

2. Heat small skillet over medium and add sunflower seeds.  Toast the seeds, shaking the skillet occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until you can smell the aroma of toasted seeds.  Remove from heat and let cool.

3. Add sunflower seeds to kale along with the kohlrabi, strawberries, and blueberries.  Drizzle with Roasted Garlic Honey Mustard (or your favorite dressing) and serve.