Hail to the Kale Salad

I had discovered this recipe about a month ago when I first started blogging about my cooking adventures.  http://janadrjoel.blogspot.com/2010/01/day-1-healthy-made-delicious.html  The name of the salad alone got me excited about it.  So when it came time to use up this week's organic vegetable share and I had two bunches of kale in my refridgerator, I went for it.  I'm going to save the salad for tomorrow night, when I attend my first local raw food pot luck.  I can't wait! (I did however take a taste, and OMG, this is really cool.)

Note: Everyone at the raw food potluck loved this salad.  It is a winner!

Chef AJ's Hail to the Kale Salad
makes a lot!

Ingredients:
2 large heads of curly kale (about 24 ounces)
sesame seeds, hemp seeds, peanuts, almonds or cashews (optional-I don't think it needs this)

Dressing:
1 cup raw almond butter (raw, unsweetened and unsalted)
1 cup coconut water (or regular water)
¼ cup fresh lime juice (about 2) and zest (I used the juice and zest of one large lemon, cause that's what I had on hand)
2 cloves garlic
fresh, peeled ginger (approximately 1” or ¾ of an ounce)
2 tablespoons low sodium Tamari (soy sauce)
4 pitted dates (soaked in water if not soft)
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Preparation:
In a high powered blender combine all ingredients until smooth and creamy. Remove the thick, larger stems from the kale and place in a large bowl. Pour 2 cups of the dressing over the kale and using an Ulu blade, massage the dressing into the kale while using the Ulu to finely chop the kale. Sprinkle with seeds or nuts before serving, if desired. Like a woman, this only gets better with age.

This dressing also makes a delicious peanut dip for fresh veggies but you need to cut way back on the water and add some cilantro. http://www.chefajshealthykitchen.com/

Wendy's notes: I have no idea what an Ulu blade is, so I just tore my kale into smallish pieces and dressed the salad.  Since it is going to marinate until tomorrow night, it should work fine.