A funny thing happened on my way to making this great salad. Two funny things actually, both of them involving Kale. (But you’ll have to wait a few words to hear them.) The basis for this wonderfully lemon-y salad recipe came
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Anna Stockwell |
from Anna Stockwell. Anna describes herself as ‘a Brooklyn-based writer, editor, recipe-developer and photographer.’ Judging from the picture on her website www.annastockwell.com, she is also a looker. She graduated from the International Culinary Center here in New York, which she accomplished while working as the digital editor of Saveur magazine. She is now an associate editor on the Condé Nast food site, Epicurious.com. This is a perfect dish to serve at a Spring Sunday lunch or at dinner any night of the week. It’s one of those salads that looks as good as it tastes. The pink mounds of salmon are interspersed with Spring Asparagus and tiny fingerling potatoes. Roasted red peppers add sweetness and color. The lemon-y dressing is a perfect complement, not only to the salmon, but to the Kale and the Asparagus. A shower of Feta Cheese finishes off the dish with a flourish. Now for those funny things about Kale…
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My favorite use for Kale. As a hardly Ornamental |
Siri, that mistress of my I-Phone, and I have a very troubled history. She doesn’t understand well over 80 percent of what I ask her. She mangles names, locations, street addresses. She is incapable of giving simple answers. Ask for a local florist and she’ll spew out every Google Listing from Bay Ridge to Bridgehampton. I once tried to change her speaking voice to Canadian, thinking that would helpbut she understood me even less. So imagine my astonishment, as I stood in a supermarket bereft of the Escarole in Ms. Stockwell’s original recipe, to hear Siri state that the substitute for Escarole is …. Kale. Now Andrew and I don’t share the current passion for Kale. The former ornamental can be found on plates all over the place but we still prefer it in the garden. However, Baby Kale, with its milder flavor and more tender leaves, seemed to be my best bet in capturing Anna Stockwell’s intent. And with my purchase of a bag of Baby Kale, comes the second Kale story.
It seems that you can indeed eat too much Kale. I had to run to WebMD to track down Hyperkalemia but here it is, quoted directly:
“Hyperkalemia is a medical condition associated with high amounts of potassium in your blood. Hyperkalemia symptoms may include muscle weakness, fatigue, diarrhea and chest pain. If you are consuming too much kale through your juice diet and you are diagnosed with hyperkalemia, your doctor may recommend a low-potassium diet. Along with kale, other foods to avoid on a low-potassium diet include potatoes, oranges, orange juice, broccoli and spinach.”
Well you sure won’t catch us eating too much Kale. However, moderation in all things means you can enjoy this gorgeous –and healthy- salad at least once a month! It’s very simple to make. You bake the fish, steam the vegetables, whisk the salad dressing together, combine the ingredients, shower them with crumbled Feta Cheese and Voilà! Here is the recipe:
Recipe for Lemon-Roasted Salmon with Asparagus, Kale and Potatoes adapted from Anna Stockwell on Epicurious.com
Serves 4. Active Time: 20 minutes. Total Time 40 minutes.
1 1/2 pounds skinless salmon fillet
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon finely chopped oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounces roasted bell peppers from a jar, thinly sliced
For the salad:
1/2 pound small new potatoes, halved
1 bunch asparagus (about 1 pound), trimmed
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped dill, plus sprigs for serving
15 Oz. package of Baby Kale (about 8 cups)
3 ounces feta, crumbled
Preheat oven to 300°F. Place salmon in a baking dish and rub with lemon zest, oregano, salt, and pepper on all sides, then coat with oil. Arrange peppers around salmon. Bake until salmon is firm but still pink in the center, about 20 minutes (if you prefer salmon more well done, cook an additional 5 minutes).
Meanwhile, make the salad:
Set a steamer basket in a large pot filled with 2″ water. Cover pot and bring water to a boil. Add potatoes, cover, and steam until tender, 10–12 minutes. Add asparagus to potatoes, cover, and steam until crisp-tender, 3–5 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk oil, lemon juice, honey, salt, pepper, and 1/4 cup dill in a small bowl or measuring cup. Toss Kale with half of the dressing in a large bowl, then transfer to a serving platter.
Toss potatoes and asparagus with remaining dressing in same bowl, then arrange over the baby Kale. Flake salmon into large pieces and arrange on platter. Top with feta, peppers, and dill sprigs.
Love the stories that surround this recipe.
Monte, you refer to baby kale in the list of ingredients but escarole in the directions. Which do you prefer?
Sincere apologies. I have only made this recipe with Kale so I cannot comment on the Escarole. I have now changed the directions to reflect this fact. Thank you so much for pointing it out. Nothing is worse than poor recipe directions!