Photo by Lauren Stonestreet

Making use of the darker, more delicate Tuscan kale (cavola nero), the pizzaiolos shred it into confetti-sized strips, massage it with a lemon-thyme vinaigrette, stud it with pickled mustard seeds, candied almonds, golden raisins, and ricotta salata, and then anoint it with frizzled parsnips.

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yields

6–8 salads

    Kale Salad
  • ⅓ cup olive oil
  • 1 pound parsnips finely julienned
  • 2 quarts Lacinata kale, approximately 2 bunches,candied almonds (recipe follows)
  • ¼ cup golden raisins
  • ½ cup grated ricotta salata 
  • 2 teaspoons Pickled Mustard Seeds (recipe follows)
  • Salt
  • Lemon-Thyme Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
  • Apple cider vinegar
  • Candied Almonds
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons water
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup blanched almonds
  • Pickled Mustard Seeds
  • ½ cup plus 2½ tablespoons mustard seeds, yellow or black
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 1 cup cider vinegar
  • 1 cup water
  • 6½ tablespoons salt
  • ½ cup sugar
  • Lemon-Thyme Vinaigrette
  • 4 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar 
  • 2 sprigs thyme
  • 4 tablespoons plus 1½ teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Cider vinegar to taste
steps

Kale Salad

  1. Place large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add oil. Once hot, add parsnips. Cook until golden brown, remove from oil, and cool.
  2. Remove ribs from kale and stack leaves. Using a very sharp knife, julienne as thinly as possible.
  3. Place kale in large mixing bowl. Add Candied Almonds, raisins, ricotta, and Pickled Mustard Seeds. Salt lightly, then add small amounts of Lemon-Thyme Vinaigrette and apple cider vinegar to taste. Toss vigorously to combine. Top with parsnips and serve.

Candied Almonds 

  1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
  2. Combine sugar, salt, water, and cinnamon stick in small pan set over medium heat. Cook until thermometer registers 250 degrees.
  3. Add baking soda and fold in nuts, then transfer to baking sheet and bake until golden brown and not sticky. Remove pan from oven and let cool.

Pickled Mustard Seeds 

  1. Combine all ingredients in medium pan set over medium heat. Simmer at 190 degrees until mustard seeds are plump and liquid adheres to seeds without dripping off, approximately 45 minutes.
  2. Remove pan from stove and let mixture cool.

Lemon-Thyme Vinaigrette

  1. Combine all ingredients and set aside.

 

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