Kale and Pomegranate Salad

This recipe is adapted from Mediterranean Living with very few substitutions.  Mainly, I had just had goat cheese earlier in the week and used feta instead.

I won't say I was panicked about finding a pomegranate, but I almost had to resort to frozen.  Finally, I went shopping in a more Jewish neighborhood.  They had it, being around the High Holy Days, and pomegranate is part of the simanim.  So are dates.  This salad knocked out two for my Rosh Hashanah dinner, three if you pretend the kale is a type of cabbage.  I don't really follow it, but if there's a choice of a recipe that uses some of the traditional foods, I'll go for it.  Not doing the fish head.

I made half as much dressing as the recipe I was following, and it was still more than enough.  It's a lovely honey-Dijon vinaigrette that I'll probably make again, but close to a cup of it is way too much.  When I tossed the salad for serving, there was already a pool of it on the bottom.

*1 bunch kale
*6-8 dates
1/2 C pomegranate arils
*1/2 C crumbled feta
1/4 C chopped walnuts or other nuts, optional
1/4 C olive oil
1 Tb honey
*1 Tb Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt
*1 Tb red wine vinegar
*2 tsp lemon juice
*1 tsp chia seeds

1.  Remove tough stems from kale and tear into bite-sized pieces.  Place in serving bowl.  Pit dates if necessary and chop into bite-sized pieces.  Sprinkle on kale, followed by the pomegranate arils.  If using, add chopped nuts.

2.  In a small bowl, whisk together oil, honey, mustard, pepper, salt, vinegar, lemon juice, and chia.  Pour over salad, then top with feta.  Allow to rest 10 minutes for the flavors to mingle, or can be refrigerated until chilled.

3.  Toss salad an serve, with more nuts and feta for garnish as desired.

Difficulty rating  :)