How To Massage Your Greens

Did you know you can massage your food?

Yes, it’s true!

I learned of this technique about a year ago, when I first tasted a raw kale salad that was infinitely more tender than the kale salads I typically made at home.

I wasn’t sure what the restaurant had done to make the salad so tasty.

Before too long, I read about a technique that involved “massaging” your greens. I realized this was the exact 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?

Kale, spinach, swiss chard and the like are the basis for a healthy, well-rounded diet.

Not only do leafy greens add necessary fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants – they are also considered essential to reducing the risk of cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis and other age-related illnesses.

Add the fact that they’re naturally gluten-free, and you’d be doing yourself a disservice not to include some of these leafy greens on a daily basis.

I’m still fairly new, myself, to introducing some of these nutritional powerhouses into my diet.

For the longest time I was strictly a lettuce and spinach kind of gal, until I decided to expand my horizons.

I was first introduced to kale about two years ago, when I attended a cooking class at our local co-op.

It was so delicious; I knew it would become a regular part of my meals.

A short time later, I came across a recipe for a simple kale salad, which I subsequently added to my repertoire.

The original recipe called for lemon juice, a little salt and olive oil, sunflower seeds and currants.

At the height of summer, I bought fresh kale at our local Farmer’s Market.

Sometimes I added chopped avocado to the salad, or pumpkin seeds instead of sunflower  – but I still knew nothing about massaging my greens.

That came later.

What happens when you try this simple technique, is that it reduces any bitterness, and has the effect of wilting the greens, so they appear to be cooked without applying any heat.

The end result is a tender leaf, still raw and slightly chewy.

I suppose you could describe this as taking the edge off the “raw”.

Blanching has the same effect, by the way.

But massaging your greens is a little different from blanching, because it requires you to get your hands dirty, and – yes – play with your food.

Think you can handle it?

 

MASSAGED KALE SALAD

Per serving:

3 cups chopped Kale*

½ Tbsp Olive Oil

½ Lemon, juiced

1/8 tsp Sea Salt

Sunflower or Pumpkin seeds

Avocado, chopped

 

*To prepare the kale:  Thoroughly wash the leaves under running water & dry in a clean dish towel or paper towels. Remove the center rib. (An easy way to do this is to hold the leaf in one hand & simply run your hand down the stalk, pulling off the leaves in the process).

Stack the kale on a cutting board, and slice. Don’t worry if it looks more chopped than sliced – it won’t make any difference to the final recipe.

 

For the Salad:  Pile the chopped, or sliced, kale on a plate. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Squeeze the juice from the lemon directly onto the greens, being careful to catch any seeds.

Now for the fun part:  with clean, bare hands (or tongs, if you must) massage the greens thoroughly between your fingers – as if you’re kneading bread – until they are glistening & wilted. They will look as if they’ve been cooked – a process that takes all of 30 seconds, or so.

Sprinkle with your choice of sunflower or pumpkin seeds, and add the chopped avocado.

Enjoy!