Caesar kale, radish and fennel salad

Caesar kale, radish and fennel salad, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

This salad was inspired by our fabulous chefs at Mabel Dodge Luhan House where I stayed last week. I promised my fellow art retreaters as well as my teachers I would figure this salad out and post it. This is one of the FRESHEST salads I have had in a while and it uses some fabulous vegetable. I am posting this with an authentic Caesar dressing but in a pinch use a bottle of dressing or a good garlic lemon vinaigrette. I can't believe I just wrote that.

Caesar kale, radish and fennel salad:

Good wooden salad bowl

5 cups finely chopped kale..demo on how to remove the rib follows
6-8 radishes, thinly sliced...I used amethyst
1/2 bulb fennel..also thinly sliced
pinch of salt
1 lemon, zest and juice (3 TBS)
1/4 cup olive oil
Toss and put aside

In your wooden salad bowl place

pinch of course salt
1 garlic clove, cut and rubbed into the bowl letting the salt break up the garlic
anchovy paste, about 1/4-1/2 tsp
1 egg yolk...Henny Penny donated to the cause....I'll have the white with breakfast tomorrow
1 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp agave or honey
Whisk the contents of the bowl, then add the kale salad,
Toss well
Serve on plate
Parmesan cheese, grated over top.

If you are not going to make this dressing this way just toss an alternative dressing over the kale, radishes and fennel. I wouldn't forget the fresh Parm on top

Trip to Taos

Mabel Dodge Luhan House, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

This week I drove South to Taos New Mexico for a 5 day art retreat with my favorite art guru, Jane LaFazio, and her art partner Pamela Underwood for a Stone Soup journey. We stayed at the historic Mabel Dodge Luhan house. Mabel built this home in 1922 and hoped to attract worldly artist to come and stay. Many did: Georgia O'Keeffe and Ansel Adams were two. Mabel married a local Indian from the Taos Pueblo and they lived here the rest of their lives.
After filming "Easy Rider" (in parts) here our buddy Dennis Hopper bought this place. Now it is a wonderful place to come and..........

birdhouses, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

watch birds fly home

living room, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

 look through windows

old truck, background: sacred mountain of Taos, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

go places

fish lure sculpture, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

fish to catch

fish sculpture, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

Blue Fish Clothing, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

and one caught me

San Francisco de Asis, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

paint churches

living room doorway, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

enter some doors

front door, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

ladder, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

go climb ladders

stone bench, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

and rest on a bench