Dino Kale – Not As Terrifying As It Sounds

Dino Kale, Ooooohhhhh Aaaahh, January 24, 2014

Fresh Friday!  I introduced you to my love of curly kale a couple weeks ago and decided that maybe I should be trying dino kale now.  (Don’t worry.  The name is much more intimidating than the vegetable, so don’t go running for the hills yet.)  Also known as Tuscan kale, it looks quite different.  Primarily flatter and darker than the common variety, it is used in raw salads more as opposed to curly kale, which is typically cooked down.  Since cooking it down seems to defeat the purpose of my trying it, salad it is!

Raw Kale Salad with Mango

1 ½ cups of thinly sliced dino kale
½ diced mango
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 ½ tablespoons parmesan cheese
squeeze of lemon juice

I know the combinations might sound strange, but it is quite good.  Not ideal for the cold weather I’m in, but when spring comes, I’ll be all over this and rotating in other fruit varieties.  The kale is hearty and strong, but paired with the sweetness of the mango and saltiness of the parmesan, it just worked.  I could imagine that some crunch, like of a candied nut, might be a nice addition if you have it on hand.  Easy to make and would hold up well as a brown bag style lunch.

Raw Kale Salad With Mango