This story begins on a mild Georgia night. Not just any night. Sunday Supper night.
One of the traditions I've loved being a part of since meeting my husband, Alex, is the Sunday Supper. This tradition began with Alex's grandmother. She would have her children and grandchildren gather for dinner at her house each Sunday evening. What better way is there to keep connected with family than to gather around a table and share a home-cooked meal? I looked forward to each culinary and connecting experience on Sundays back when we were first dating and since her passing, this sweet tradition begun by Alex's grandmother is carried on by his mom and aunts. Most Sundays, dinner is planned and aunts, uncles, and cousins gather to share a meal and their lives with one another.
I love this family's passion for food. My mother in law, Laura, is the queen of gluten free and unprocessed eating and I have learned so much from her. I love the way she's challenged me to really think about what I'm eating and what food's effects are. His aunt, Anne, is also a nutrition and healthy living expert. She is a trained Health Coach and a wealth of information on holistic health and living (check out her website here!) This is where kale comes into the picture.
On the fateful Georgia summer Sunday Supper night, Anne was preparing the salad. Not just any salad, a kale salad. And not just any kale salad, THIS kale salad. Sure, I'd had kale salad before. Most of what I remember about it was getting a killer jaw workout and trying to mentally process the somewhat bitter, overtly leafy flavor as I chewed, and chewed…and chewed.
So THIS salad was prepared before my eyes and I was intrigued by it's ingredients. Avocado, ginger, lime juice, sunflower seeds. I watched as she tossed the ingredients together in the biggest salad bowl I'd ever seen. The results were amazing. The citrus worked it's magic and seemed to wilt the leaves slightly, leaving a more chewable, though still sturdy, green. The avocado added a creaminess that the cheese-lover in me relished. Sunflower seeds added a light crunch and ginger brought the perfect summer brightness to it.
I went back for seconds, then thirds, then fourths. I made it two days later, and then the following week. I was hooked.
So without further ado:
Anne's Summer Kale Salad
Ingredients
2 large bunches of kale (about 8 cups)
Juice of 1 lime
Juice of 1 lemon
1 avocado
1 purple onion
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
2 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Directions
Cut central stalk out of the kale and chop into bite size pieces.
In a medium size bowl, mash avocado and mix in the ginger and the lemon and lime juice.
In a large bowl mix kale with avocado mixture and add sunflower seeds and onion.
Drizzle lightly with olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Toss to combine and enjoy!
One of the traditions I've loved being a part of since meeting my husband, Alex, is the Sunday Supper. This tradition began with Alex's grandmother. She would have her children and grandchildren gather for dinner at her house each Sunday evening. What better way is there to keep connected with family than to gather around a table and share a home-cooked meal? I looked forward to each culinary and connecting experience on Sundays back when we were first dating and since her passing, this sweet tradition begun by Alex's grandmother is carried on by his mom and aunts. Most Sundays, dinner is planned and aunts, uncles, and cousins gather to share a meal and their lives with one another.
I love this family's passion for food. My mother in law, Laura, is the queen of gluten free and unprocessed eating and I have learned so much from her. I love the way she's challenged me to really think about what I'm eating and what food's effects are. His aunt, Anne, is also a nutrition and healthy living expert. She is a trained Health Coach and a wealth of information on holistic health and living (check out her website here!) This is where kale comes into the picture.
On the fateful Georgia summer Sunday Supper night, Anne was preparing the salad. Not just any salad, a kale salad. And not just any kale salad, THIS kale salad. Sure, I'd had kale salad before. Most of what I remember about it was getting a killer jaw workout and trying to mentally process the somewhat bitter, overtly leafy flavor as I chewed, and chewed…and chewed.
So THIS salad was prepared before my eyes and I was intrigued by it's ingredients. Avocado, ginger, lime juice, sunflower seeds. I watched as she tossed the ingredients together in the biggest salad bowl I'd ever seen. The results were amazing. The citrus worked it's magic and seemed to wilt the leaves slightly, leaving a more chewable, though still sturdy, green. The avocado added a creaminess that the cheese-lover in me relished. Sunflower seeds added a light crunch and ginger brought the perfect summer brightness to it.
I went back for seconds, then thirds, then fourths. I made it two days later, and then the following week. I was hooked.
So without further ado:
Anne's Summer Kale Salad
Ingredients
2 large bunches of kale (about 8 cups)
Juice of 1 lime
Juice of 1 lemon
1 avocado
1 purple onion
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
2 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Directions
Cut central stalk out of the kale and chop into bite size pieces.
In a medium size bowl, mash avocado and mix in the ginger and the lemon and lime juice.
In a large bowl mix kale with avocado mixture and add sunflower seeds and onion.
Drizzle lightly with olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Toss to combine and enjoy!
