Raw Kale Salad

I've been making this raw kale salad at work lately that's really become a hit and I thought I'd pass it around.

• 1 bunch Raw curly kale
• (organic if you are so inclined), I think that lacinato kale would also be good, but this is a good recipe for curly because you chop it up really fine
• 1 cup of raisins or craisins (if you're feeling more like it's a special occasion)
• 1 cup of almonds, chopped
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• The juice of 2 lemons
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 3 T Olive Oil
• salt/pepper to taste
• drizzle of honey or agave nectar

So what I like to do is wash my kale really well and pat it dry before I put into my food processor.  If you do not have a food processor, it works just fine to use your hands and tear the leaves into small bites.  It's great to get the kale as small as possible because when it's raw it is extra fibrous and this will later save to chewing time.  It's fun to chew, don't get me wrong and it's better to chew longer, but with kale there is a risk of feeling like a cow with cud, you know?

Okay, so you now have a bowl of bite size kale pieces.  I would toss in the dried fruit of your choice, the carrots (you could also substitute some sort of sprout for the carrots, spicy or bean), and your almonds.  At this point, leave your kale and you can mix up your lemon vinaigrette real quick.

The lemon vinaigrette would be great on a variety of salads and dishes, but I love it here because the acid and the bitter kale with sweet fruit is such a refreshing way to get your greens, you know?  Anyway, for those of us that know when we need our greens, this salad is really satisfying, and certainly craveworthy.

Squeeze your lemons (no seeds!  Use a cheesecloth if you like) into a small mixing bowl, then your minced garlic, season it, and then whisk in your olive oil to emulsify the dressing.  Add the sweetening agent of choice, I usually do agave nectar, and whisk again to make sure everything is well incorporated.   Now you can pour your dressing over the kale and give it a nice toss.  Serve it up either by itself or however you like.  Also, after it's been dressed, I find that it will last in the fridge for up to 5 days, so make a larger batch for the week and take it for lunch.  It's great with fish or with other protein tossed in.