Green and raw: a great way to start 2012

It’s a pretty cool thing, that we get to celebrate the end of one year and then start another one fresh. New beginnings are good.

We spent the day today skiing at Jiminy Peak. Fresh powder would have been nice. Instead we skied on ice and man-made snow. But it didn’t bother me. All five of us were outside and happy, enjoying the day and each other’s company. Sure, Lucy did some grumbling because she wanted to be ice skating with her friends. Actually, she did a lot more than just grumble but I made her come with us. Once she got out there, she even smiled and laughed a few times. We might not be as cool and fun as her friends but even she might admit that hanging around her family isn’t always that bad.

Last night we celebrated the arrival of this new year with Hoppin’ John. I looked for dried black eyed peas but couldn’t find any. Instead I used two cans, and simmered them good and long with roasted red peppers, shallots, garlic and vegetable broth. We ate it served over brown rice. Each of us ate one pea and said a hope or wish we have for the new year. Paul, ever faithful to our business, is hoping to double our sales in 2012. Lucy, dry as always, wished for a day of ice skating with friends.

I had a big bag of kale leaves, and wanted to do something different than our usual crispy kale (that’s sliced kale leaves, tossed with olive oil and salt, and roasted in a 400° oven for 6 minutes, stirring once… it’s delicious.) But we eat a lot of that and we needed something new. This idea came to us from the Honest Weight Co-op, from their deli. Paul and I occasionally pick up a container of their raw kale salad for lunch and always enjoy it. Turns out it’s very simple to make. Lucy and Zoe both ate a serving of this, but I believe they both like the roasted version better. I loved the rawness and the fresh lemon and olive oil. Elliot wouldn’t touch the stuff.

We brought the rest of the salad with us and ate it in between ski runs. It improves with age.

Raw Kale Salad with Lemon and Parmesan
serves 6

1 large bunch kale
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
1 small shallot, peeled and minced
sea salt
black pepper
pinch of crushed red pepper
1/2 c. finely grated Parmesan cheese

Slice the kale leaves very thin. I pushed them through the slicing blade of my food processor. In a glass bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and olive oil. Add the shallot and season. Pour over the kale and stir in the cheese. Allow to marinate for 2 hours or overnight.