Banish all thoughts of ascetic eating: Raw kale salads are going upscale.
This commune staple once consisted of barely edible pieces of barely dressed leaves of mature kale. No longer:
At Leopold's Kafe in Washington, D.C., the sturdy grünkohl salat--assembled from shredded kale, currants, garlic chips, balsamic vinaigrette and both Piave and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheeses--is one of the casual café's most popular dishes.
All Hail Kale, the kale salad at the thrumming Hollywood location of the California mini chain Veggie Grill, outsells every other item on the menu The key to the salad's melt-in-your-mouth texture is an overnight soak in ginger-papaya vinaigrette; the addition of roasted-corn salsa and agave-roasted walnuts provide pop and crunch.
Flag bearers for the farm-to-table movement have been having a field day with the trend. Northern Spy Food Co. in New York sources young Tuscan kale for its standout salad (pictured), made with a sprightly lemon vinaigrette, chunks of Cabot Creamery clothbound Cheddar, gratings of sheep's-milk pecorino and either roasted kabocha or butternut squash (click here to download the recipe).
Chris Kronner of San Francisco's Bar Tartine goes predictably produce mad for his version, procuring four types of baby kale from local farms. He naps them with an anchovy, egg and sherry-vinegar dressing and flanks them with croutons made from Tartine Bakery's famed country loaf. Think cold-snap Caesar.
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