Garden Kale Slaw

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If there is one vegetable I can recommend growing in an at-home garden, it’s kale. It gets quite bountiful, it’s hearty and you can use it throughout the summer in so many ways. I recently went out and harvested our kale to make a Garden Kale Slaw to go with a little at-home barbecue. It was quick, easy to make, and a really tasty use of our homegrown veggies.

It’s a throw together salad. & what I mean is it’s the perfect thing to reach for when you’re making a dinner that required attention elsewhere. I my case, it was attention devoted towards grillin’ up some ribs + making some corn on the cob that was more on the gourmet side. So my meal needed a little bit of freshness that could be prepared wit ease. This easy kale slaw with a honey mustard dressing fit the bill.

Go Pantry Hunting

To be honest, we went pantry hunting when making this, and what I happened to have on hand worked real well with what I had going on. Walnut + blue cheese + red onion. Those were the x-factor ingredients I worked with, & they all work great in a green salad tossed in a sweet + tangy dressing. You can definitely go pantry heavy in your own rendition - subbing in whatever nuts you have & subbing in goat cheese or parmesan for the blue cheese if that’s what you have.

Not a one-note slaw

Whenever I make a salad, I just don’t want it to be boring. Even side salads, like this one, I want them to be kind of exciting to eat. Multiple layer, you know what I mean? This salad can be summed up as sweet, salty, crunchy, & nutty, so definitely not a one-note slaw.. The sweet & salty comes from a dressing made from honey + mustard (my two favorites!!), and the addition of blue cheese. You gotta get a little indulgent with the cheese! The kale + fresh red onion keeps things feeling very fresh & garden-y.

It’s refreshing, and fun twist on a coleslaw. No mayo, lots of layers, & a crunchy kale base. It was very much enjoyed at the Zehner house, & a nice hefty dose of veggies that would definitely pair well with any at-home bbq dinner.

For the salad

  • 3 tbsp mustard

  • 1 tbsp honey

  • 3 tbsp EVOO

  • 3-4 c. kale

  • 1/4 of a red onion, thinly sliced

  • 1/4 c. walnuts, roughly chopped

  • 1/4 c. blue cheese crumbles

  • Salt + pepper

Add the mustard, honey, & EVOO to a mason jar. Shake until emulsified. Set aside

Now prep the kale. Remove the tough stem, and you may able to just remove the bottom part of the stem opposed the whole rib, but that’s a personal choice. Remove the stem & thinly slice the kale. Add the kale, onion, walnuts, & cheese to a bowl. Add a sprinkle of salt + pepper. Add in 3-4 tablespoons of the dressing, tossing, and adding more a tablespoon at a time if desired. Keep in the fridge until you’re ready to eat.

Lesley ZehnerComment