This salad requires several steps but is worth every ounce of effort. Perfect for entertaining, the base of sturdy Bowery Baby Kale means that it can be dressed in advance and waiting on the table when company arrives. Just remember to hold the millet crunch topping until you’re about to serve to ensure it stays crisp.
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Ingredients
- 4 cups Bowery Baby Kale
- 1 cup farro, cooked
- 1 cup fennel, shaved paper thin
- 2 medium-size beets
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, about 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons minced shallot
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ cup olive oil
- ¾ cup puffed millet cereal
- 2 strips lemon peel, dried in the oven
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Preparation
- Cook farro on stovetop or pressure cooker, according to package directions. Let cool.
- Wrap the beets individually in aluminum foil and place them on a sheet pan. Roast them for 50 minutes to 1 hour, depending on their size, until a small sharp knife inserted in the middle indicates that they are tender. Unwrap each beet and set aside for 10 minutes, until cool enough to handle. Peel the beets with a small, sharp knife over a piece of parchment paper to prevent staining your cutting board.
- Prepare the vinaigrette: In a medium bowl, whisk together lemon zest, lemon juice, shallot mustard, salt, sugar and pepper. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Adjust seasoning, if necessary. While the beets are still warm, cut them into thin wedges and toss them with 2 tablespoons of the lemon vinaigrette. The beets will absorb more dressing while they’re warm.
- Prepare the crunch mix: Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Using a vegetable peeler, make two strips of lemon peel, leaving the pith on the fruit. Cut the peel into strips. dry them in a 200-degree Fahrenheit oven, spread on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, for about 25-30 minutes. The peels will curl up and turn stiff when they're dry. Once dry, pulverize the peel in a spice grinder, then toss together with all the crunch mix ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
- Drizzle oil and sprinkle salt on the kale. Massage it for 2 minutes. Drain any liquid from the bowl.
- Add the beets, fennel and farro to the kale. Drizzle the vinaigrette and toss to combine. Let sit 20 - 30 minutes before serving, and top with the crunch mix just before serving.
Bowery Ingredients
