Quinoa and kale salad

quinoa and kale salad, originally uploaded by cabanagirl.

A super food salad perfect for a spring day meal.
Have you used quinoa in the kitchen yet? You should. It is a tiny grain (really a seed) originating from South America in Andes cooking. It is very low in the glycemic index unlike rice and wheat and very high in fiber and antioxidants. It doesn't taste like too much alone but mix it with other flavorful foods and your good.
Add kale-another super food. I love kale. I had plenty in my garden last year through Christmas and now my new kale is starting to grow. Use full size kale, ribbed and chopped fine for this salad or simply use baby kale from the salad section in the markets.
Cranberries- enough said, another super food. I use the cranberries dried in apple juice (instead of sugar) from Whole Foods.
Walnuts-I'm tempted to try pistachios but love the combination of walnuts, cranberries and citrus. Yes they are super too.
Tangerines (who doesn't love Cuties?), orange zest and orange juice

Here's the recipe:
quinoa-1 cup cooked in 2 cups water-yields about 4 cups cooked
kale-4 cups chopped or baby kale
cranberries, dried, about 3/4 cups
walnuts, chopped about 3/4 cups
tangerines, 5-6 peeled and cut up
orange zest- from one orange

vinaigrette:
juice of one orange
olive oil
balsalmic vinegar to taste

Toss all together and enjoy your super salad
Bon Appetit!

Chez Panisse "Fruit"

persimmon, pomegranate & walnut salad
Originally uploaded by cabanagirl

Persimmon, pomegranate, walnut & frisee salad:

I received a lovely gift in the mail from my friend, Marjorie, today: Chez Panisse "Fruit" by Alice Waters. I have recently been seduced by persimmons and have been searching for ways to use them. Just peeling and slicing the Fuji variety is perfect but this beautiful cookbook has a whole chapter on persimmons. Heaven! This salad combines the 3 main ingredients with a sherry wine vinaigrette and is served over frisee (curly endive) Besides being colorful it is very fresh and crunchy. Try it! If anyone cares these are my three favorite colors all on one plate (well really, hot pink, but close)

persimmons & walnuts

persimmons & walnuts
Originally uploaded by cabanagirl

When I was growing up my grandmother had a black walnut tree. We were paid 10 cents to pick them. I found these along with the persimmons at the Farmers' Market for $1 a pound....quite a bargain...there are lots of walnuts in one pound. I found a nutcracker, placed them on a Tuscan yellow hem-stitched napkin and started to sample them. Sophie helped in the cracking. Good doggie, Sophie!