This is one of those relatively unstructured recipes, using bunches of what you might find in your local farm stand. The vinaigrette is a tad more precise, but it too lends itself to your whims and palate.
From my farmstand I pulled out one bunch of kale, one bunch of beets, one bunch of green onions. From my pantry I measured one cup of Whipple beans, grown here on Vashon Island, (part of the Vashon Seed Saving Project) and one cup of dried ceci beans. (aka: garbanzo beans/ chick bean). I soaked and cooked the beans.
You can make this recipe with any beans you have handy or no beans at all. The beans add protein, texture, flavor and bulk.
Cook beets. You can roast them or boil them, cook until just done, not mushy done. A knife pierced into beet should tug a little going in. How many beets? Well, how much do you like beets? What size are your beets? I roasted 3 small beets for the one big 10 oz. bunch of kale I used. Peel the beets by running cold water over hot beets. Skin should slip off easily. Chill beets while you make the salad.
Chop kale into bite size pieces that will fit on your fork and put in a large-ish bowl. Squeeze 1/2 – 1 lime and a generous sprinkle of sea salt on greens and massage the lime juice and salt into the leaves for a minute or two.
Chop a bunch of green onions, add to kale.
Add about 1 cup of cooked beans. I mixed ceci beans with whipple beans.
Chop beets to bite size and toss into kale, green onions and beans.
Make vinaigrette:
2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 Tablespoons white wine or cider vinegar
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 generous teaspoon whole grain mustard
freshly ground black pepper to taste
Shake all of the above together.
Pour over salad and toss until everything has a shiny coat of dressing.
Add pieces goat cheese if you wish and maybe some toasted pecans.
It’s so pretty and delicious! Enjoy!
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