Kale and Lavender Quickled Cauliflower and Carrot Salad

This salad uses two quickles (the carrots were a spin-off of the cauliflower) that, with a little study of the recipe, could be made all together, and you could reduce the volume of final product. Both the quickles are quite good, and last a long while in the refrigerator, so doing them both is a nice way to set yourself up for a couple weeks of crunchy sweet-tart vegetables that are easy to deploy. If lavender is not your thing, use the recipe for Cauliflower, Romanesco, and Carrot Quickles on site (which makes this simpler in that you do the carrots and cauliflower together, and the flavor is a more “traditional” pickle flavor), skipping the romanesco and celery and switching the dressing to a white wine vinaigrette with a very little rosemary in it along with some thyme and a hint of garlic.

INGREDIENTS:

2-3 cups Cauliflower Quickles Scented with Lavender and Fennel

1-1½ cups Quick Pickled Carrots Scented with Lavender and Fennel

1 bunch Scotch kale, torn into bite-sized bits, washed, spun dry, and left to air out

1 cup grape/cherry/saladette tomatoes, cut in ½, or larger tomatoes, seeded and cut into ½ inch pieces

Scant ½ cup roasted salted sunflower seeds

Dressing:

1 ounce quickling solution from carrots

2 ounces white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon sweet hot mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

½ teaspoon fresh thyme, minced

¼ teaspoon culinary lavender, crumbled finely

9 ounces soft flavored extra virgin olive oil

METHOD:

In a non-reactive bowl, mix the vinegar and quickling solution, then add the herbs and spices. Allow to macerate 10 minutes. Whisk in the mustard, and then in a thin steady stream slowly whisk in the oil until it is all in and emulsified. Taste for balance and adjust as needed.

Put the kale into a very large non-reactive bowl, and pour in enough dressing to get all the kale wet. Massage the kale, giving it a pretty good squeeze. This will cause the kale to soften, and also to sweeten. After the kale has been squeezed and dressed, allow it to rest for 10-15 minutes in the refrigerator, at least (it can spend a couple hours in the refrigerator without suffering).

When ready to serve, add the cauliflower and carrots to the kale, and gently turn, coating the carrots and cauliflower with dressing. Add more dressing if it seems needed. Lift the salad out of the dressing, allowing to drain a moment before plating it. Place a mound of salad on 4 plates. Distribute the tomato over the salads. Scatter with sunflower seeds and serve.

Chef’s Note: You could use Quick Pickled Carrots with a South Western Flavor for a change, and use pine nuts or toasted pumpkin seeds in lieu of sunflower seeds. This is a good lunch box salad as it is sturdy, feels substantial, and can pack into a small space without worrying about crushing the leaves.

Serves: 4

Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen