massaged kale salad with grapes and cheddar

Lunch

Massaged Kale Salad with Grapes & Cheddar

The kids participating in the California Farm to School Network who inspired this salad knew that they could make kale more tender and appealing to fellow students by massaging it first to break down tough cells in the plant. You probably won't find crumbled Cheddar at your market, but all you have to do is buy the cheese as a brick and then slice before breaking it into little chunks.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon ground pepper
8 ounces kale (1/2 large bunch), stemmed and torn (10 cups)
1 cup halved grapes
½ tablespoon toasted pepitas
¼ cup crumbled cheddar cheese

Directions

Whisk lemon juice, oil, honey, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add kale and massage until it's bright green and shiny and the volume is reduced by about half. Add grapes, pepitas and Cheddar and toss to combine.