Avocado massaged kale salad

The summer introduced herself nicely, a hot and humid day, as along most areas of the East coast. Everyone seems to be in siesta mode in my house, and after watering the raised beds the second time today I was ready to harvest the first lacinato kale of the season for this wonderful lunch salad.





When I eat at Whole Foods, I always look for their kale salads. One of my favorites is the one with tomatoes, red onion, lemon juice and smashed avocado. Exactly for this purpose, two avocadoes were already ripening on my countertop The other inspiration is from Heidi Swanson recent kale salad with shaved (yes, shaved!) fennel.



Avocado massage kale salad (1 portion)

• half of a hundle of lacinato kale (or ca 12 leaves) (aka Tuscan kale, dinosaur kale)
• juice of a 1/2 lemon
• 1/4 of a hass avocado, ripe (soft)
• pinch of salt
• handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
• ca 1/5 of a large fennel, shaved with a mandoline length-wise
• 1 TB pine nuts, toasted

Stack and roll up the lacinato kale leaves like a cigar, and slice thinly (ca. 1/2 inch wide). Place in a bowl, add the lemon juice, and massage the lemon juice heartily into the leaves. Cover, and chill for ca 1 hour.
Cut out a 1/4 from a hass avocado. Score it with a paring knife, peel it and add to the chilled kale. Get clean hands, and smash the avocado into the kale leaves (basically, massage the avocado into the kale). Shave the fennel and add to the salad; add the salt, and about 2/3 of the cherry tomatoes. Mix gently. Serve with toasted pine nuts and the remaining tomatoes.