Weather: 0 degrees, clear
What I’m listening to: if only the twinkling of Christmas lights had a sound
The end of the year always brings with it bittersweet reflections – memories happy and painful both – and hopes, dreams, and expectations for the year ahead. We wonder where the year has gone, and simultaneously can’t wait to usher in a new one. We live in the tension of the past and the present colliding.
One common theme that threads through the fabric of people’s year end reflections and New Years resolutions is that unspoken longing to have life be just a little bit better than it was before. We want to learn from our mistakes, grow from our challenges, and step into the next chapter more present and more ourselves than we were the last go round. We want to breathe more deeply, love harder, and intentionally stop to enjoy the good moments whenever we find them. We want to eat good food, drink good drinks, and surround ourselves with good people.
As we wrap up 2016 and ring in the New Year, a great many of us will be looking for ways to cleanse, detox, and bring a little more freshness into our lives. This kale salad fits the bill beautifully with its vibrant colors and bright seasonal citrus notes fit for any New Years celebration. Meanwhile this salad boasts loads of health benefits, appropriate for starting 2017 on a nutritious and wholesome note. As I always recommend when making kale salads, massage your kale with your hands to make it more tender and less bitter. Perhaps at the end of the holiday season, we could all use a good massage to be more tender and less bitter, too.
Kale Salad with Goat Cheese, Orange & Pomegranate
- For the dressing:
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- a generous amount of salt and black pepper, to taste
- For the salad:
- 1 bunch kale, washed, stems removed and finely chopped
- 6 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
- 2 oranges (I used Cara Cara Oranges), peels removed and segmented
- 1/2 cup pomegranate arils
- 1/2 cup roasted pepitas
Making the dressing first, adding the orange juice, olive oil, honey, garlic, salt and pepper to a mixing bowl. Whisk well until emulsified. To a salad bowl, add the prepped kale. Pour half of the dressing over the kale and massage it into the kale firmly with your hands, until the kale turns darker green and becomes more tender. Top the dressed kale with goat cheese, orange segments, pomegranate arils, and pepitas. Drizzle with remaining dressing or serve the dressing on the side. This salad can be made up to 30 minutes ahead and chilled until serving.
