As you read this, I am in Rome, probably eating a big bowl of pasta followed (and likely proceeded) by gelato (sorbetto al melone is my fave). When in Rome, right? But in a couple of days I will probably be wishing I had packed elastic-wasted pants and be seeking out the rapini and artichokes side of Italian food, and dreaming about this very salad.
It has all of the things to balance out a decadent holiday season (it’s kale salad after all), while tasting hearty and decadent itself.
This salad was the all time favourite of a client who I cooked for for many years. She was very low maintenance thanks to the fact that she really loved all food and also because she wanted this same salad at least once a week. I haven’t been able to look at it for years (I got pretty sick of it) but I was thinking about it the other day and thought I’d give it another try.
It brought back lots of memories (as food can really do) and I remembered why it got so much love in the first place. Its flavours are well balanced (bitter greens with sweet potatoes and fresh, grassy dill), it is hearty (protein-rich quinoa, beefy broccoli and fatty almonds) and it’s easy to take with you as a snack or lunch on your way out the door, or wrap up in a collard with some avocado (how I judge the merits of all grain-based salads).
Here’s a tip: you don’t need flour to make gravy. I discovered this when I first started dating my now husband who is (and apparently always has been, even in past lives) gluten-free. Personally, I might have said ‘hey Wes, don’t eat the gravy’ but instead when we went to my parent’s house for dinner, my Mom would make a gluten-free version of that and EVERYTHING ELSE and the rest of the family would avoid it.
Eventually, as I started cooking for nutritionally-minded clients, this early incarnation of my Mom’s g-free gravy got me thinking (I also started to understand the inflammatory effects of gluten). She would use rice or potato flour in place of the wheat flour and it tasted pretty much the same (My Mom was the best cook). From a whole food perspective, wouldn’t it be better to just use some fresh potato as thickener? Or even better, other flavourful, starchy vegetables?
After a long, hot summer, the leaves are finally starting to get crunchy less due to dehydration and more because IT’S FALL! Sweaters, boots, umbrellas, more leg hair, less squinting, phantom back to school anxiety, warm breakfasts, soup, and pumpkin spiced everything.
I love the smell of pumpkin pie baking in the oven but have always been disappointed by the pumpkin pie itself. I feel a bit guilty about this because I was born on Halloween and I feel like pumpkins and I should be kindred spirits. Also, pumpkin pie is my husband’s favourite dessert of all time, which means I make it at least once a year. That or rice pudding. I know.
