Be warned…this salad is like crack! It’s so yummy it’s addictive. Seriously, I’ve had two bowls of it already today and will probably have more with dinner. Two weeks ago I went to a local store, Pasta & Co., to grab some things for lunch. Sidebar: This little lunch outing, which was really an excuse to take the dog on another walk since it was such a nice sunny day, led to a crazy shopping experience. As I was finishing ordering my lunch a lovely older man came up to the prepared food case.  He was so nicely dressed – very distinguish looking. He started talking with one of the ladies working at the store – telling her he couldn’t possibly order his usual because they had changed the recipe by adding cheese to the tuna salad. While I agree with him that cheese and fish is no bueno, what ensued was nutso. He started raising his voice. The store, mind you, was packed because it was the lunch hour. I think everyone initially thought the same thing I did – he’s being comical. Oh no! He got louder and louder, started spouting off obscenities like nobody’s business, called the owner of the company some choice names…well, you get the idea. After quickly paying, I hightailed it out of there. It was all a little crazy. All I could do was shake my head and think two things: 1] yep, never judge a book by its cover, and 2] I want that man’s life where his biggest problem is that someone changed a dish he liked. Oy. It makes for an interesting tale at least, I guess.

Anyway, one of the things I bought that day was a kale and broccoli salad. It was so great I couldn’t stop thinking about it. So I thought I’d try and recreate it at home. I’m not sure what their dressing was but this simple oil, lemon juice, garlic and parmesan cheese one I made on the fly complements the raw salad really well. This is a fast prep salad and would be great for a spring gathering. Or you can just eat it all day long like I’ve been doing.

kale + brussel sprout salad with lemon parmesan dressing
serves 8-10

1/3 c slivered almonds
1 bunch kale, stems + vein removed, leaves cut in half then sliced into ½” slices
12 brussel sprouts, stems removed, cut in half lengthwise then julienned
½ cup craisins, chopped
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup lemon juice
½ cup parmesan cheese, finely shredded
1 tsp garlic, minced
Kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

In a dry sauté pan over medium heat, toast the almonds until golden. Remove from heat and let cool. As the nuts are cooling, cut the kale and brussel sprouts; add to a large mixing bowl.  Add the craisins. To make the dressing, add the oil, lemon juice, parmesan and garlic to a small jar or tight sealing plastic storage container and shake to emulsify. Salt and pepper to taste. Add the almonds and dressing to the kale and brussel sprouts. Toss to coat and serve.