Yes, I do believe kale to be a magical plant here on earth. It comes in so many forms from leafy and light to dense and quite heavy–I love them all. I felt that kale deserved its own post. This past week, I have been helping Andrew’s parents move into their new home in Colorado. After long days of moving and unpacking boxes, I would fall into bed fast asleep–and dream about kale! As a Jungian enthusiast, I don’t dismiss my dreams lightheartedly. I try to take a moment to think back to what happened in the dream and take a look at the dominant colors, people, actions, and places. I’ve learned a lot about myself this way–it’s good to know what your subconscious mind is working on while you yourself are hard at work doing everything else. It helps me better connect my emotions and my actions, which is always helpful .

Kale was a predominant thing throughout my dreams because, well, I missed it! Lately, I’ve been sauteing a head of kale with a couple of cloves of garlic and a tablespoon of olive oil as the main part of my dinner–saving the leftover, if there is any–for lunch the next day. And because the nature of the trip–we were all moving and very busy– I went for days without anything green to eat. (However, I did get 6 full days of sun! Ah the glorious trade-offs . I even tried to talk a little kale with one of Andrew’s brothers, but he did not know what it was. Le sigh–me, my kale dreams, and my kale obsession would have to wait for a better outlet–so here it is!

I went to my favorite Portland grocery store today and bought three heads of kale in anticipation for eating it all week. Who knows, I might have to get some more later on in the week . I bought two kinds: dinosaur kale and red leaf kale. There are a lot of others, but these are the most commonly found in American groceries.

I made a Kale Salad with Apple, Radish, Avocado, and Roasted Sunflower seeds from the Complete Tassajara Cookbook. It was divine, super simple, and better for you than any jam packed multi-vitamin. This salad doesn’t have any oils involved either because the flavor of the kale, lemon, honey, and salt are simply magnificent on their own.

Kale is a super-food. It helps protect against cancer, cataracts, is a major source of vitamin A and beta-carrotine (both very anti-cancerous) as well as vitamin C, it promotes lung health and prevents rheumatoid arthritis. Oh, and not mention it’s an aphrodisiac, a great source of fiber and calcium, promotes mental function (yes please!), and lowers cholesterol. Yeah, I’d say that’s pretty super.

Kale Salad with Apple, Avocado, Radish, and Roasted Sunflower Seeds
The Complete Tassajara Cookbook

12-15 leaves dinosaur kale
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons lemon (about 1 lemon)
4 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
black pepper
1 apple
6 radishes
1 avocado
1/2 cup roasted sunflower seeds (preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and roast on a cookie sheet for about 10 minutes)

Wash and cut the kale into 1/4 inch wide strips, leaving the stem on if using dinosaur kale. Place in bowl with the salt and start massaging to release the moisture from the leaves. The salt helps this process and adds a nice flavor. You’ll notice it will start to wither down a bit, becoming a deep, dark green. Add the lemon and honey and continue to massage into the kale until it is all mixed in and the kale has become smaller. Throw in the sliced radishes, cut up pieces of avocado, apple, and roasted sunflower seeds, toss and enjoy!