Homegrown: Kale Tossed Salad with Roasted Garlic Dressing

With my manuscript and photographs for the cookbook due in just a handful of days, time around here is tight.  The days are long - testing the last few recipes and going through the manuscript, crossing i's and t's and making sure I make sense.  My house is a mess.  I don't leave the dirty house, unless it's to get groceries and have a little human contact with the outside world.  I can't believe on April 1st, it will be all over.  What in the world will I do with myself?!  I know, clean the house!  Go for a massage!  See friends I haven't seen for 6 months.  There is a light at the end of the tunnel, but still so much work to do before then.  Wish me luck!

Even though time is a precious commodity around here, I still knew that I had to say YES when asked to participate in a blog hop celebrating Mairlyn Smith's new cookbook, Homegrown.  She co-authored the book with members from the Ontario Home Economics Association, and oh my, it is quite the informative, detailed cookbook.  I personally think it should be required reading for kids in high school.  Celebrating the foods grown, raised and produced in Canada, it includes 160 recipes and so much information about, well pretty much everything.  The chapters are divided into:  Breads, Eggs, Cheese, Grains, Soups, Vegetables, Salads, Legumes, Pork and Lamb, Fish and Seafood, Poultry, Beef, and Fruity Treats, with helpful tips and lovely photographs scattered throughout.  Each recipe makes a note on its seasonality, and has all the nutritional information laid out for you.  Homegrown is a wonderful resource for those just learning to cook, and for those who've been doing it for ages.  Mairlyn and her team should be very proud of themselves!

Given that my diet has included way too much butter and sugar over the past several months, I knew I wanted to cook something green and super healthy from Homegrown.  Enter the Kale Tossed Salad with Roasted Garlic Dressing.  Oh man, can roasted garlic ever work wonders, on pretty much everything it touches.  It's the real shining star in the dressing, and the plain yogurt adds enough creaminess so you aren't missing the usual  mayo or egg yolks.  Shredded Parmesan adds a lovely salty/nutty note and a little dry mustard powder brings brightness.  The whole things is tossed with hearty kale, shredded carrots, red peppers and cucumber.  Super nutrition, right there.  I felt like I could glow in the dark after eating this salad.  For a bump of protein, you could add cooked pulses, shredded chicken, pork, fish, beef.  Heck, even a chopped hard boiled egg.  And there is dinner.  

Be sure to check out what the other bloggers are sharing from Homegrown.  Mairlyn, we love you!  

Charmian over at The Messy Baker made Zucchini & Carrot Breakfast Muffins

Mardi over at Eat.Live.Travel.Write. made Spicy Red Lentil Soup

Jan over at Family Bites made Apple Maple Cheese Spread

Amy over at Family Feedbag made Quebec Style Pea Soup 

Julie over at Dinner With Julie made Maple Brussels Sprout Slaw 

 
Kale Tossed Salad with Roasted Garlic Dressing  

I used 6% plain yogurt as that's what I have in the house, and the dressing turned out great.  A squeeze of fresh lemon juice is a nice addition at the very end, as is a generous shaving of Parmesan cheese.  

Roasted Garlic Dressing

1 bulb garlic (see note)
1/4 cup  canola oil + ¼ tsp, divided
Salt and pepper to taste 
1/3 cup plain Balkan-style 1% MF yogurt
1/4 tsp dry mustard powder
1/4 cup  grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp finely chopped fresh parsley

Salad

1 large bunch kale, ribs removed and sliced into 1/2-inch (1 cm) thick ribbons
1 cup grated carrot
1 large red bell pepper, chopped (I like mine sliced, too)
1 English cucumber, thinly sliced

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. Cut approx. 1/4 inch (6 mm) off the top of garlic bulb and remove the very outer papery leaves. Drizzle with 1/4 tsp canola oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper.
3. Wrap bulb in foil (or put in a terracotta garlic baker, covering with the lid) and put in the preheated oven. Bake for 50 minutes or until the garlic bulb is a nice golden-brown colour with the cloves being soft and “spreadable.”
4. When cool to the touch, hold the garlic bulb and squeeze out softened flesh into a mini food processor. Add yogurt, mustard, 1/4 cup (60 mL) oil, Parmesan cheese and parsley and puree until dressing is blended and smooth. Season with pepper to taste and set aside.
5. In a large bowl, toss together the kale, carrot, pepper and cucumber. Pour the dressing over top toss well to coat. Serve. Makes 8 cups (2 L)

Ingredient Note :

Garlic—Choose local garlic when possible. Buy local at your farmers’ market in the fall and store it in a cool dark place over the winter months. Once roasted, garlic keeps for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.