Scandinavian Kale

A part of my diet is raw food, but I’ve never really defined it as that. For me it is just food. It’s like vegetarian dishes — just because they don’t contain meat, why should they be specially defined?

Typically I prepare salads, but not just lettuce with a few ingredients added. For me, it’s an opportunity to more or less mix any kind of vegetable and fruit you can think of — you just have to use your imagination.

Kale is the perfect example — I love it because it’s really healthy, contains a lot of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. But in Denmark it was traditionally boiled then put into a heavy gravy, a recipe I never really cared for. Years ago, I started experimenting with using the vegetable in different ways, still mainly raw. Here are two of my favorite ways to prepare it in salads:

Kale and Pomegranate Salad

Serves 4

• 1 bunch raw kale, stems removed
• 1 pomegranate
• Juice from 1 lime
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Chop the kale finely, set in a bowl, add pomegranate seeds and the juice from the pomegranate skin.
2. Add lime juice and olive oil, then season to taste with salt and pepper.

Kale with Carrot, Radish and Almonds

Serves 4

Salad Mix

• 1 bunch raw kale, stems removed and chopped finely
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into julienne
• 10 radishes, cut into thin slices
• 1/4 cup almonds, chopped

Dressing

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Mix the vegetables and almonds in a bowl.
2. Start the dressing by whisking the mustard, honey and balsamic vinegar together and then slowly whisk in the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Combine the dressing with the vegetables, just before you serve.

Eat these as a first course or paired together with other salads for a meal. Velbekommen, as we say in Danish!