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You are here: Home / Tori's Kitchen / Recipe Index / Appetizers / Kale, Pear and Cranberry Salad It all started in September. First there was Rosh Hashanah, then the Yom Kippur break fast, then Sukkot, then Simchat Torah. Now, we’re in that early autumn period where so many other food celebrations loom before us… Thanksgiving, NFL parties, Christmas, Hanukkah… oh, good lordy, latkes. Wouldn’t now be the perfect time to take a break from the crazy calorie madness, cleanse our bodies, and press the reset button? I’m thinking YES. And kale is just the thing the doctor ordered.

In case you haven’t heard the news, kale is one of the healthiest foods on the planet. It’s a cruciferous leafy green packed with Vitamins A, B6, C, and K along with magnesium, potassium, iron, copper, manganese and phosphorus. It also contains strong phytonutrients and cancer-fighting antioxidants. The fiber in kale helps to lower blood cholesterol levels. Eating kale regularly can lower your risk of cancer and heart disease. In a nutshell, it’s really, really good stuff.

Though kale seems to be getting a lot of attention lately, it’s been around for centuries. Kale is the predecessor to cabbage, and was the common “green” eaten by Europeans through the end of the Middle Ages (though, truthfully, greens weren’t super popular back then). In Medieval England, it was known as cole or colewort. In Scotland, where it was widely grown and cultivated, it first became known as kale. In fact, a group of Scottish fiction writers from the 1890’s was nicknamed the “Kailyard School”– they were known for their overly sentimental descriptions of rural life in Scotland (J.M. Barrie of Peter Pan fame was a member). Kale hasn’t changed much genetically over the centuries; the kale we eat today is the same as the kale people ate over a thousand years ago. Only recently cooks have started to rediscover kale, mainly because it packs a nutritional punch. There are few other foods that can match the health benefits of kale. Up until a few weeks ago, I wasn’t into kale. Like, really wasn’t into it. Everybody told me I should be eating kale… because, you know, it’s the greatest thing ever. It’s the superfood of the century. But I’m not a big salad eater, and every time I tried it, I felt like I couldn’t get over the naturally bitter taste of the kale leaves. In short, I felt like a goat. Fortunately, that all changed when I discovered the kale massage. You heard me right! Believe it or not, massaging the kale leaves for a couple of minutes has a miraculous effect. It removes most of the bitterness of the leaves and gives them a mild, almost sweet flavor.

So go on. Give your kale a rubdown. And while you’re at it, throw in some ripe autumn pears, dried cranberries and toasted pine nuts. This Kale, Pear and Cranberry Salad makes healthy eating a pleasure, not an obligation. You’re welcome.



Salad Bowl 
Kale, Pear and Cranberry Salad Total Time: 15 Minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Kosher Key: Pareve

Research Sources

Davidson, Alan (1999). The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford University Press, USA.

