Kale Salad with Mango, Dried Cherries and Toasted Pecans
(aka- kale salad for people who hate kale salad)

Confession time: I'm extremely late jumping aboard the kale bandwagon. In fact, just as this food trend is taking its last gasping breaths, I'm finally realizing that kale is in fact, pretty fantastic. There's good reason for this. Is it because I didn't recognize the food trend had staying power when it first reared its ugly head about 2 long years ago? People, I'm in the biz. Of course I recognized the trend. The simple fact was, I really, really hated kale. To me it seemed I might as well be chewing on a mouthful of shredded Watergate documents. Good for you or no, I just couldn't stomach it.

Not long ago a friend of mine at work recommended a kale salad recipe and I told her of my aversion. Which, because I work for Whole Foods, is it's own kind of blasphemy. In fact, part of me is terrified to write this post because I'm certain there's a clause in the team member handbook that could get me fired for kale hatred. *I'm not actually terrified of this- see hyperbole.  Anyhow, once her shock and disbelief passed, she asked me if I knew about massaging the kale. "Massaging the kale?" I asked, skeptically. "Yes, she repied. I know it sounds crazy, but I promise it will change the way you feel about kale."

Turns out, she was right. It's a super simple technique where you squeeze a lemon and sprinkle some salt on your stemmed and chopped kale and then massage the whole lot. The process breaks down the fibrous nature of the kale, making it not only palatable, but enjoyable. Toss in some perfectly ripe mango, sour and chewy dried cherries and toasted pecans, and you've got a real winner on your hands. 

               Kale pre-massage               Kale post-massage

This is a variation on this recipe from Arti Sequeria of the Food Network. Feel free to play around with the add-ins as much as it suits you. I've used all kinds of different nuts and I especially enjoy dried cranberries as a substitute for the cherries. 

Please give it a shot, and kale haters- let me know what you think!

Kale Salad with Mango, Dried Cherries and Toasted Pecans
Serves 5-6

Ingredients:
2 Bunches of Kale (I like Dino Kale)
1 or 2 handfuls of dried sour cherries
1 or 2 handfuls of toasted pecans
1 lemon
Generous pinch of salt

Dressing:
Juice of 2 lemons
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
2 Teaspoons Honey
Fresh cracked pepper and salt to taste

Method:
Stem, chop and wash your kale well. Kale is one of those vegetables that likes to hold on to dirt, so make sure you give it a good once-over. No one likes to bite down on a grain of dirt. Yuck. 

Peel and slice your mango into whatever size bites you like. If you're one of those people (like me) who hates to cut mangos, check out this tutorial for a little guidance.

Toast your pecans. I put mine in a 350 degree oven for about 6 minutes and I set a timer. YOU WILL FORGET ABOUT THE NUTS. So, do yourself a favor and just set the dang timer. 

To make the dressing, put all ingredients into a lid with a nice, tight cap and shake like the dickens. 

Massage the stemmed and chopped kale with the juice of one lemon and the generous pinch of salt as described above. One note- try not to go too overboard on this part. You're breaking it down, yes, but you don't want it to turn into mush either. 

Throw in the cherries, mango and perfectly toasted pecans and drizzle with the dressing. Careful not to go too heavy on the dressing- just a light coating is all you're looking for. 

Toss and enjoy!