A lemony kale salad with sautéed apples and shallots, and toasted pepitas. Use purple, tuscan, curly kale, or a mix!
For the squirrels, it started a month ago. The first day of September, before the acorns fell, panic washed over the animal kingdom. Squirrels were more furtive and skittish then ever. Either a deer or a groundhog decided to eat all of our late strawberries, leaves and all. These days, it’s the birds who are nuts; the blue jays have returned from wherever they summer and the crows are back to making a ruckus.
In the human world, early October is a more appropriate time to freak out.
It’s the time to figure out what to do with the last tomatoes or maybe even a stray peach or watermelon. Winter squash and pumpkins are flooding the markets, as is the fall crop of apples, grapes, and pears.
And then there are the greens. I’ve mentioned it before, but kale has two peaks –– once in the spring and again right about now. Later in the season, harsh weather and age make for chewy, rubbery leaves. But now? The stalks are small and the leaves supple. We’ll be stuck with kale through the long months ahead, even so, there really couldn’t be a better time to dive into all the leafy greens.
Because I don’t do my vegetables in half measures, this salad features a mix of varieties with purple kale, Tuscan kale (my favorite), and plain old curly kale which happens to be plentiful and cheap right now. I massaged the leaves with a lemony vinaigrette. There are also sautéed shallots and honey crisp apples, and toasted pepitas, because everything is better with those.
Speaking of salads, I’ve been knee deep in them of late. In case you missed it, I’ve got a bi-weekly column over on Food52 called ‘Salad Days.’ Every other week, I’ll be featuring a fresh, seasonal salad recipe. Last week, I shared a fig and Manchego salad with herbed croutons. And, I had another fig salad over on Free People. This one is a fig and pear salad with a crazy good vanilla bean vinaigrette. Check ’em out!
- 1 large bunch kale any kind, cut into thin ribbons
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic smashed and minced
- Sea salt to taste
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil plus more for cooking
- 1 shallot peeled and sliced
- 4 crisp apples cored and cut into 1/2 inch slices
- 1/2 cup raw hulled pepitas
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Prep the kale, set in a large bowl, and toss with lemon zest. To make the vinaigrette, use a fork to whisk the garlic into the lemon juice. Add a generous pinch of sea salt. Drizzle in 3 tablespoons olive oil, whisking until emulsified.
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Drizzle half the dressing over the kale leaves and massage with fingers. Rough the kale up a bit –– don't be shy. Set aside while you prep the toppings.
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Set a large cast iron skillet over medium/medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil and the shallots. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until shallots have browned, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, slice apples, toss in the skillet, and cook just until apples are warm and have lost their bite, 5 - 7 minutes. Remove shallots and apples from heat, add another drizzle of oil, and toast the pepitas, cooking just until they pop, about 1 - 2 minutes. Toss warm pepitas with sea salt.
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Fold the warm apples, shallots, and pepitas into the prepared kale leaves. Taste for salt levels and adjust if needed. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to a day.
Sauteed apples?! Goodness! I’m coming over!
Oh that you could, Katrina! Of course, I’m busy vicariously living your Sicilian life.
I was just thinking you HAVE to be knee-deep in salads 🙂 All of your lovely salads are gorgeous and I just want to eat them all! This one is so pretty with that red apple skin against those dark greens!
Thanks Nicole! Of all the things to have too much of, you can’t really go wrong with salads, right?
Yes yes yes! Give me all the Brooklyn Supper salads!! Every single one makes me drool. This sounds like the perfect mix of savory, sweet, and tangy… I need it in my life!
You’re so kind, Cynthia! I feel like drool-worthy *salads* are a big accomplishment. Thanks for the salad love!
I’m totally crushing on this one, Elizabeth. Kale is alive and well in the garden and Quebec apples are tops!
Thanks so much Aimee! I totally messed up my fall crops this year, but next year I’m going to try to grow some kale of my own. And how is it possible that I’ve never had a Quebec apple? I now need to research some of the varieties that grow up there. I love the regional specificity of apples.
Brooklyn Supper salads; is there anything better, really? No honestly, your series on Food52 is fabulous! Oh and I love how you started this post talking about nut squirrels and birds… My mom told me that a few days ago she observed a squirrel hanging mushrooms on tree branches at our summer cottage! She then googled if that was considered as “normal” and found an article about how squirrels dry mushrooms. Totally blew my mind 😀
Hi! We, too, are former brooklynites living in cville. Happy to find a kindred spirit in town via Food52! Great writings. Thank you.
This looks fabulous- a great use of kale as well!
I haven’t been able to get ahold of super nice kale yet but now that I’m visiting the city I’ll be heading to the Union Square Green Markets and I’m hoping to get ahold of some beautiful bunches!
Oh my goodness, I am in awe of this salad. I cannot get over how pretty it is.
I actually didn’t know that kale had two growing seasons. Glad I do now!!! I’m totally feeling this salad… especially the sautéed apple. Warmed apple is just so comforting.
A gorgeous salad! I didn’t know kale was more tender this time of year.
We tried your recipe to serve at our Canadian Thanksgiving dinner this weekend and it was a HUGE hit! Easy to make but everybody loved it. Thanks for sharing a great recipe 🙂
This was an easy recipe to make, but I did find the lemon a little overpowering. Will try again and maybe add some dried cranberries and a little less lemon. Thanks
I love this salad and your explanation of how to properly prep
This time of year is my favorite, especially when it comes to eating 🙂
Thanks!
Hello there ♥ Just thought I’d leave a massage to let you know I’ve loved this amazing recipe and I’ve included it in my 50 Epic Vegan Christmas recipes’ roundup:
http://sevenroses.net/2015/12/50-epic-vegan-christmas-recipes/
Thank you & happy holidays! =)
Salad again…. Yum.
Most unique part – Sauteed apples for sure.
I am trying them right away with all ingredients in my kitchen now.
I am excited.
I may skip Lemon zest ( may be).
Thank you for the idea.