What's in Season?: Making the best of kale this March

If you don't have all your kale devoured after crisping it up in the oven and lightly salting it, here are some more suggestions

Kale: some varieties are ornamental in nature - not that you'd want to sit on it for long!

Kale and brussels sprout salad

recipe by:Currabinny Cooks

Brussels sprouts are actually, wonderfully delicious when eaten thinly shredded and raw.

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Total Time

 10 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• For the dressing:

• juice of 1 lemon 

• 2 tbsp of Dijon mustard 

• 1 shallot, very finely diced 

• 1 garlic clove, crushed 

• sea salt

• black pepper 

• 100ml olive oil 

• For the salad:

• 2 big bunches of Kale (preferably Russian or Covolo nero) 

• 300g brussels spouts, trimmed 

• handful of almonds, skin on, roughly chopped 

• 100g Parmesan or pecorino, grated 

Method

1. Mix together all the ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl or shake in a glass jar and leave to the side.

2. Remove any of the larger stalks from the kale and finely shred. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

3. Very finely slice the brussels sprouts so that they are basically shredded. You can of course use a mandolin or even a grater. Add to the bowl with the kale.

4. Toast the almonds in a dry frying pan over a medium-high heat until they are toasted, be very careful not to allow any to burn. Set aside.

5. Add the dressing to the kale and sprout mixture, mixing everything together so it is all well coated. Season with sea salt and black pepper.

6. Serve with the toasted almonds sprinkled on top along with some grated pecorino.

Kale, cashew and wakame pesto

recipe by:Currabinny Cooks

Wakame seaweed gives the pesto a coastal flavour of salt and sea, pairing beautifully with robust curly kale to create a delicious peppery pesto which brims with goodness and flavour

Servings

6

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Total Time

 10 mins

Course

 Side

Ingredients

• 2 garlic cloves

• 60g curly kale, stalks removed

• 30g dried wakame, soaked in water and drained

• juice of 1 lemon

• 60g cashew nuts

• 3 tbsp rapeseed oil

• 60g hard farmhouse cheese (Cais na Tire or Cratloe Hills)

Method

1. Add all the ingredients to a food processor and whizz until well combined but not too processed.

2. Add more oil to loosen up the mixture if needed.

3. Add to pasta, soups or dollop atop a cracker.