Kale Caesar Salad

In the spring I made a full fat kale Caesar salad for a charity dinner I was one of the chefs for.  It was a huge hit with the guest, most proclaimed kale haters.  Unfortunately it was at the end of the spring kale season so I did not get a chance to recreate it in a healthier format.

This week the kale in my fall garden is something the garden steelers (and I am not talking a football team) have not discovered they liked so I decided to make the Caesar Salad in a lighter way.

I planted the curly version of kale, but I think the flatter type would work fine too.  The key is to strip the leaves from the stalks and cut it up into very fine bits.  This will make four servings as a starter or two giant meal sized salads.

12 big kale leaves – stripped from stalks and minced

2 hard boiled eggs – finely chopped

½ cup shredded Parmesan Cheese – a little less if you are using grated cheese

Dressing

Juice of 1 lemon

2 T. sherry vinegar

1 t. anchovy paste

1 t. Dijon mustard

Pinch of salt and pepper

2 T. olive oil

Make the dressing by putting all the ingredients except the olive oil in small bowl and mixing it together well.  Using a whisk, start stirring the dressing and dribbling in a little oil drop by drop.  It is not going to be a very creamy dressing because it uses a smaller amount of oil, but it will be perfectly thick and delicious.  You will not have a salad drowning in dressing, but the strong flavors all work well together.

Put the kale in a large bowl and pour the dressing over it and toss to coat.  Add the egg and cheese and toss and serve.