How To Massage Your Greens

Kale SaladDid you know you could massage your food?

Yes, it’s true!

I first learned of this technique several years ago, when I was new to eating kale salads – or kale anything, for that matter.

What intrigued me, was how infinitely more tender this salad was, than the kale salads I typically made at home.

I happened to be dining at one of my favorite gluten-free restaurants – Posana Cafe in Asheville, NC. (Yes, this is a long way from home, but it’s worth the trip, in my opinion since their Kale Salad is the absolute best).

But what had the restaurant done to make the salad so tasty?

Before too long, I learned about “massaging” your greens, and quickly realized this was the exact same process the restaurant had used to perfect their kale salad.

The sky’s the limit here, by the way – you’re not limited to kale.

Just about any greens can be massaged – chard, spinach, collards, arugula, lettuce – you name it.

Why the focus on Greens?

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Do You Follow the Recipe?

This past weekend, we visited the Farmer’s Market.

Walking among the stalls, I was thrilled to see the colorful rows of fresh produce –a sure sign that Summer is here.

Later in the day, as I inspected my selection of fresh asparagus, baby beets, snow peas, and lettuces, I wasn’t sure how they’d be combined for the evening meal.

We ended up with soup.

I kind of tossed everything in the pot – well, except for the beets and lettuce. (Beets are probably not a good idea – they’d probably turn the soup red).

So anyway, I didn’t follow a recipe.

I didn’t need to.

The next day, as I was preparing a salad for a potluck dinner, I was following a recipe. That’s when I realized I was missing a key ingredient.

At first, I panicked.

Then I decided to make do with what I had, including my  Farmer’s Market finds from the day before.

It was strangely relieving.

And made me think about our typical approach to Rules and Following Recipes, and the like.

Specifically that, much of the time, it isn’t really necessary, although we might think it is.

Unless you’re a beginning cook, or new to the gluten-free lifestyle, being free to add lib in the kitchen is half the fun, and also wakens your creative self.

Designing a home is also a creative endeavor, and in many ways it is not much different from cooking.

You’re just working with a different set of ingredients.

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