Kale Salad with Strawberries and Candied Walnuts

I'm not over kale salad yet.   

I'm worried that kale season might be over, as it wasn't offered in my buying club this go-round and typically there are two producers offering kale.  


What will I do this winter?

I wrote about my newfound love of massaged kale salad this summer.   It's still going strong.  I get about a bunch of kale a week, sometimes two.  One smallish bunch feeds Sous Chef Brian and I once.  Then we need more.  We meander through the week on our spring mix and spinach salads, just waiting for the kale to come back.  I'm really not kidding. 


I've been getting larger packs through the buying club - they make a salad that serves four (or serves us twice) so that's nice. You've had this salad before, balasamic, strawberries*, feta (or gorgonzola, maybe), onions and candied walnuts.  But have you had it with massaged kale? O. M. G. 

Our friends were running late and when they texted, I wrote back, "No worries, I'm massaging kale and candying nuts."  Actually, Sous Chef Brian was massaging the kale, because I cut myself making an undocumented beef stew a few days ago, and any sort of cut or scratch is highlighted when you rub lemon and salt into greens.

I made the candied walnuts via Simply Recipes. Lay out walnuts, toast in oven. 

Put sugar in a pot.

Melt it. 

Stirring.

Stir in your toasted walnuts - I'm not sure I toasted them long enough but they were still delicious - and then spread and separate them before they congeal. 

Take your kale, massaged with lemon and salt, and add a bit of balsamic and olive oil.  Massage some more.  Add diced onion and sliced strawberries and crumbled feta.  Toss it together and let it all hang out in the fridge for a bit. 

Add candied walnuts. 

(Put some of the extra walnuts directly into your face.) 

I have my walnuts in a jar, for salads and snacks.  

*yeah, it's January and these strawberries were imported from Pluto.  I just started to miss fruit.