Massaged Kale Salad

Yes, even Kale benefits from a good massage, in this case, with salt.
Thanks to Liz for this recipe, it will be sure to get us through the winter.
Ingredients
One big bunch of Lacinato Kale (also called black kale, dinosaur kale.  The leaves are long, thinner and straight in comparison to regular curly kale)
1 T. Salt (we used sea salt cause I love it)
Roasted Sunflower Seeds
Blue Cheese
Raisins or Currants (try all kinds)
1 Apple, cored and sliced 
Cider Vinegar
Olive Oil

Rinse and dry kale.  Remove portion of stem, usually at least one third, that is woody and tough.  Stack kale leaves on top of each other and slice into 1/4 to 1/2 inch strips.  Place strips in bowl and add 1 T. salt.  Massage salt through kale leaves.  This will tenderize the kale.  Set aside and core and slice apple. Break blue cheese up into edible chunk size.

Look at kale.  You'll notice that it is shrinking down in size a bit.  The salt is doing its job.
Add all other ingredients.  You'll notice that I didn't put down quantities for most of the ingredients. 

That's cause I wasn't given Q's by Liz.  This is a personal thing.  Use the amounts that you want to eat.  Do it all to taste.  It makes one heck of a salad.  And it keeps for a couple of days. 

Enjoy!

Roasted Beet and Arugula Salad

This is absolutely yummy! The distinctive peppery flavor of arugula is balanced by the sweetness of beets and a delicate vinaigrette enriched with apple juice.
8 servings (4 if you're hungry or use as more of a main course)

6 medium beets
3/4 cup shelled or chopped walnuts or pecans (scant 4 oz.)
4 bunches fresh arugula

Dressing:
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 TBS. Dijon mustard
1 Tbs. thawed frozen apple juice concentrate
1/3 cup finely chopped shallots (2 medium)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment or foil. Pierce beets with a skewer or fork. Place on prepared baking sheet and roast until tender when pierced with tip of sharp knife (or comparable poker). 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours (depending on the size of beets. I think the last batch i did only took an hour).
Set aside to cool slightly. Keep oven on.

Spread nuts in small baking pan and bake until fragrant, 5-10 minutes (we baked ours in toaster oven. If you do this, you can shut your oven off. Let cool. Chop coarsely if necessary.

Trim, rinse and dry arugula, then tear into bite size pieces.

Make dressing: In medium bowl, whisk together vinegar, mustard, juice concentrate, shallots, salt and pepper. Gradually whisk in oil. spoon half of drssing (about 1/3 cup) into small jar or bowl and set aside.
When beets are cool enough to handle, peel and cut each one into 8 or 12 wedges. Add to dressing in bowl and toss well to coat. (If desired, marinate beets, covered, in the refrigerator up to 2 days)

To serve: In large salad bowl, toss arugula, marinated beets and reserved dressing. Sprinkle with toasted nuts and serve.

Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Green Peppercorn Vinaigrette

1 small head of Cauliflower cut into medium florets
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp EVOO
Salt and Pepper to taste

1 tsp minced shallot
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup white-wine vinegar
4 tsp. brined green peppercorns
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
1 cup thinly sliced radicchio (slice to look like shredded paper, we used arugula once and it was a fine substitute)
2 cups frisee, leaves separated and torn into bite-sliced pieces

Roast the cauliflower- Heat oven to 400. In a bowl, toss Cauliflower, 2 Tbsp EVOO salt and pepper. Pour out onto a baking sheet and roast for 25 to 35 minutes turning every 10 minutes until golden brown. Let cool.

Make the peppercorn vinaigrette- Put the shallots, wine, 3 Tbsp of the vinegar and 2 Tbsp green peppercorns in a small pan and simmer off liquid until just 2 Tbsp are left. Pour into food processor (use immersion blender food processor, and one time we just just chopped the green peppercorns really fine and didn't bother with the food processor, it was fine). and the mustard and remaining 2TBSP + 1 tsp and process until smooth, add 1/2 cup oil while processor is running. Transfer to mixing bowl and add parsley and remaining chopped peppercorns..

Assemble- In large bowl combine ingredients with enough vinaigrette to lightly coat. Serve and drizzle with additional vinaigrette to taste.

Greek Village Salad with Cabbage

From the Frugal Gourmet.

Use any amount of the following according to your taste (now that's why we love Jeff Smith).
White or Yellow Onions peeled and sliced thin
Green Sweet Bell Peppers, cored and sliced thin
Feta Cheese, cut into tiny pieces
Greek Olives
Oregano, whole and crushed by hand
Cabbage, cut as for coleslaw
Cherry tomatoes or very ripe regular tomatoes cut or sliced to salad size
Cucumber, peeled and sliced thin
Salt andGroungPepper to taste.

Dressing:
3/4 cup good greek olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon
Salt and Pepper (and fresh oregano if you have it)
(mix, or immersion blend, baby).

Place the onions, feta cheese, greek olives and green peppers in a bowl with enough of the greek dressing, and enough oregano to taste for the entire salad, and marinate for 1 hour.
Toss all remaining salad ingredients with the marinated vegetables and the rest of the dressing. Taste for salt and pepper and serve.

Salade Nicoise

From Epicurious, scaled down in volume. (This recipe need to be DRI-ized, that is, simplified to keep the best aspects and to forget the fussing, we'll do that shortly). This salad was inspired by a classic Salade Niçoise with its fresh anchovies, potatoes and green beans, and one offered to me by Alice Waters, owner of Chez Panisse, who comes to France every year to avail herself of, among other things, the fine green beans of summer.
Serves 4-5
Susan Herrmann Loomis

For the vinaigrette:
1 1/2 tablespoons best quality cider vinegar
1/2 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 medium new white onion, sliced paper-thin
1 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups flat-leaf parsley leaves, loosely packed
1/4 cup mixture of tarragon and fresh chervil leaves, loosely packed
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the Salad:
1 pounds fresh tuna
1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, for rubbing on the tuna
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
10 anchovy fillets (preferably packed in oil)
1/2 pound green beans, trimmed
1/2 pound yellow beans, trimmed
1 pounds of tiny new potatoes, scrubbed
1/4 each red and yellow bell peppers, cut in thin (1/4-inch) strips
3 medium red and yellow tomatoes, stemmed and quartered
3 farm eggs, hard-cooked and peeled
1/2 cup nicoise olives
Sprigs of parsley and chervil, for garnish

Make the vinaigrette:
In a large bowl make the vinaigrette by whisking together the vinegar and the mustard. Slowly whisk in the oil in a thin stream to emulsify the mixture. Stir in the garlic and the onions.
Mince the parsley and add it, with the tarragon and chervil, to the dressing, mixing well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Make the Salad:
Rinse the tuna, pat it dry and refrigerate it until just before cooking.

Build a small fire in a barbecue.
When the coals are red and dusted with ash, spread them out, and lay the rosemary atop them. Set the grill atop the coals. Rub the tuna on all sides lightly with olive oil, and place on the grill. Cover the grill, leaving the vents open, so the tuna grills and smokes at the same time. Grill until the tuna is lightly golden and almost cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Carefully turn the tuna and cook until it is golden on the other side and opaque through, an additional 5 to 7 minutes. The cooking time will vary depending on the heat of the fire, so check it carefully. Transfer the tuna to a plate, season it lightly all over with salt and pepper, and let it cool to room temperature. When it is cool enough to handle, carefully remove the skin and any bones. Drizzle it on both sides with about 3 tablespoons of the vinaigrette, then reserve at room temperature.
Drain the anchovies of oil and pat them dry.

Steam until beans are tender firm, about 6 minutes. Remove from the steamer and let cool on a wire rack covered with a cotton tea towel.

Transfer one-third of the dressing to a medium sized bowl.
Bring a medium-sized pot of salted water to a boil, and add the potatoes.
Cook just until they are tender through, about 15 minutes. Drain. If you want to peel them, do so as soon as they are cool enough to handle. Add them, still warm, to the one-third of the vinaigrette. Toss, and reserve.

To assemble the salad, just before serving toss the beans and the peppers with enough vinaigrette to fully moisten them, and arrange them in the center of a serving platter.
Top them with the anchovy fillets, arranging them attractively on top. Quarter the eggs, and place them, with the tomatoes, around the beans and peppers. Drizzle them with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the vinaigrette.
Place the potatoes on another platter.
Break the tuna apart into large pieces, and arrange the pieces attractively atop the potatoes. Sprinkle with the olives. Drizzle with any remaining vinaigrette, and garnish with several sprigs of parsley and chervil. Serve immediately.

White Beans with Tomato, Basil and Parmesan

1T olive oil
1 tsp. minced garlic
24oz. can white beans, drained
1 cup chopped grape tomatoes
1/4 cup fresh parsely
1 tsp. dried basil
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

In non-stick skillet saute garlic in O.O. on medium heat, 3 minutess. Stir in beans, chopped tomatoes, parsley and basil and cook about 7 minutes or longer. Mix in parmesan just before serving. Add spinach, mushrooms or whatever else seems good at the time.

Earth and Sea Salad

2 cups dried Arame
1 cup dried Hijiki
1/2 cup julienned Red Pepper
1/2 cup chopped Scallions
1/2 cup julienned Carrots
1/2 cup Cucumbers, peele, seeded and sliced
1/2 pound teriyaki or similar marinated Tofu
1 tbsp Toasted Sesame Seeds
3/4 cup thawed frozen Corn

Dressing:
1/2 cup Soy Sauce
1/2 cup Rice Vinegar
1/2 cup Mirin
1/2 cup Sesame Oil
2 Tbsp. fresh grated Ginger

Soak the arame and hijiki for 30 minutes. Squeeze out water and pick out any foreign matter. Simmer in boiling water for 30 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile, mix Dressing and set aside. Thaw corn and chop vegetables. Cut tofu into strips. Cool seaweed and combine with vegetables, sesame seeds, tofu and dressing. Let rest 30 minutes and toss before serving.

Hearts Of Palm Salad With Ruby Red Grapefruit And Dungeness Crab

Chef Kerry Simon (celebrity fans at his showy Las Vegas restaurant, Simon Kitchen and Bar, include Kate Hudson and Lucy Liu) is bringing his simple, organic American cuisine closer to the stars with the planned opening of Simon LA at the Sofitel Hotel this month. This succulent salad provides vitamins, including A, C and folate, among others, plus some zinc from the hearts of palm and juicy ruby red grapefruit.
Makes 2 servings.
Kerry Simon
Simon Kitchen and Bar

1 cup hearts of palm, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 bunch organic watercress
6 ounces precooked Dungeness crabmeat
1 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro
1 tablespoons julienned basil
1 tablespoons julienned mint
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Pinch freshly ground white pepper
2 ruby red grapefruit, peel and pith removed, segmented, segments cut into 4 pieces each

Dressing
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp honey
2 tsp kosher salt
Pinch freshly ground white pepper

Dressing Whisk together all ingredients in a bowl. Marinate hearts of palm in 3/4 cup dressing in another bowl for at least 1 hour. Divide watercress between 2 plates; top each pile with hearts of palm. In another bowl, mix crabmeat, herbs and 1 tsp dressing; season with salt and pepper; toss until thoroughly mixed. Divide seasoned crab between 2 plates of watercress. Top with grapefruit pieces.

This was an amazing eating experience. I had first thought that one grapefruit per salad was going to be too much. It was most certainly not. The grapefruit, greens, herbs and crab meat were a beautiful marriage.
A tip for those with OCD tendencies(and you know who you are), in addition to peeling and removing pith, take the time to remove the skin from each grapefruit segment. It is not as hard as it might sound, and is definitely worth it in providing intense grapefruit flavor. (OK, I've revealed my tendencies)
Also, Dungeness crab may be hard to find in the Northeast. I ran into a guy from Seattle who said after doing considerable research, Jonah Crab (available at Whole Foods) is the next best thing.
I can attest that it was sumptuous.

Kale with Sesame Dressing

Tastes just like Ohitashi, the spinach dish we often get as a sushi appetizer.

1 Bunch Kale, well washed, roots and course stems removed
2 1/2 T toasted white sesame seeds
1 1/2 t cane sugar
1 1/2 t Soy Sauce
Pinch Salt

Steam kale over boiling water for 3 minutes, or until just bright green and wilted. Drain in a colander, and rinse under cold water. Gently squeeze kale to release excess water. Lay kale on a clean towel and gently roll up to absorb any remaining liquid.

In a small bowl, mix sesame seed with sugar, soy and salt

Unroll kale and cut into 1 inch pieces place in bowl and mix with dressing. Serve cold or warm slightly.

Cilantro-lime Vinaigrette

2 tablespoons lime juice
6 tablespoons oil (half olive, half vegetable)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small hot pepper, finely chopped (or to taste)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Combine all ingredients in small jar. Shake well and set aside (puree if desired).

Broccoli Slaw

4 slice(s) bacon

1 bag(s) shredded broccoli slaw

1/4 cup(s) low-fat or nonfat plain yogurt

1/4 cup(s) reduced-fat mayonnaise

3 tablespoon(s) cider vinegar

1t dry mustard

2 teaspoon(s) sugar

1/2 teaspoon(s) salt, or to taste

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

1/2 cup(s) finely diced red onion (1/2 medium)

DirectionsCook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, turning frequently, until crisp, 5 to 8 minutes. Drain bacon on paper towels.

.Whisk yogurt, mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, mustard salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add onion, bacon and broccoli; toss to coat. Chill until serving time.