06/13/2025
It has been very wet in Upstate New York for a while, but the hardworking crew of the Denison farm delivered a second box of beautiful vegetables. The lacinato kale and romaine salad were the starting point of this salad. I used Ottolenghi’s kale and tahini Caesar salad recipe as inspiration. Google it for the original recipe, I am a bad recipe follower. The kale was massaged of course. If you still don’t massage your kale, get to it. Add a bit of salt and lemon juice to the torn pieces of kale and massage until soft. Add the romaine. I used more romaine than kale. Add some mint and parsley. The dressing was a tahini based dressing. My brand of choice is definitely the Noom. Smooth with no bitterness, I think it’s the best one around. Mix equal amounts of tahini with ( vegan) yogurt, add lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. This dressing is so good, I made a large quantity for the week. Mix in dressing to taste. Top with roasted red grapes, and roasted chickpeas. Roasting red grapes for salad is a revelation. Halve the grapes and roast at 400 degrees for about ten minutes. They need to hold their shape. The roasted chickpeas need an hour. I used a whole can. Rinse and dry with a towel. Mix in with olive oil, salt and za’atar. Za’atar has become increasingly popular and is relatively easy to find. Beek in a 350 degrees oven until crisp and browned.
