Lomi Lomi Kale Salad

For years, I kept getting kale in my Community Supported Agriculture box, and for years was befuddled.  I didn't like kale chips.  I didn't like kale salad.  I could put up with it sauteed, but only barely.

But bit by bit, I found a few recipes I actually liked.  And last weekend, I found myself PURPOSELY BUYING kale, because I couldn't wait for it to show up in my CSA box! 

Here's one of the recipes that won me over, courtesy of Don and Joan at Dancing Hen Farm, who in turn say they got it from someone named Claudia. "Lomi Lomi" in Hawaiian means to squeeze or massage, they report.  The massage step is critical to making the leaves tender.  After all, who among us doesn't feel more tender after a good massage?

One word of warning - if you do this right, you'll be very safe from vampires. It's also an excellent way to make long-winded interviewees find excuses to keep their answers short, especially if you ask questions with a lot of "h" sounds in them.

Ingredients:

1 large head of fresh kale, washed and torn into pieces discarding the spine and stems
1 bunch of basil, chopped
3 cloves of garlic (I told you you'd be safe from vampires)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. sea salt or kosher salt
1/2 cup roasted pumpkin seeds
1/2  cup feta or goat cheese
1/2 cup grape tomatoes

You can vary this recipe, I'm told, using sunflower seeds instead of pumpkin seeds, adding diced apples soaked in lemon juice, adding garbanzo beans and adding apple cider vinegar with a little honey mixed in.

Place the first five ingredients in a large bowl and mix well, massaging them together with clean hands.  Then lightly toss with the remaining three ingredients.