Happy Midsummer!

All this talk of summer sun with swimswuits and sunnies has got me in the mood for some old fashioned summertime cooking. You know what I mean? I'm talking about backyard dinner parties complete with fireflies, chilled rose or margaritas, and homemade popsicles (foreshadowing in action!). When it's a warm night, I can't fathom standing in front of an oven or stove for very long so my brain goes straight to salads.

The beauty of a summertime salad is all the garden goodies you can put on top of it. Fresh apricots have been making an appearance in our farm box these past few weeks - a sign that tomatoes and cherries will be added soon. For this video, I wanted to make a simple summer salad with two star ingredients - kale and apricots. I lightly grilled the apricots to caramelize them a bit, bringing out an extra sweetness. The base of the salad is kale. I learned the secret to a kale salad several summers ago, when I was at a backyard BBQ and became entranced watching the hostess massaging the kale for at least 10 minutes before adding the other ingredients. The massage is an essential component to a kale salad. It lightens both the texture and flavor of the thick, fibrous leaf providing a nice meditation for the preparer that is well rewarded with the kale's sweet flavor.

Grilled Apricot Kale Salad

• 1 bunch kale
• Fresh apricots (I used about 5)
• 1/2 c. slivered almonds
• 1 avocado, cut into little chunks

Dressing

• 1/2 c. olive oil
• 1/4 c. apple cider vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp. honey
• 1 tsp. dijon mustard

Slice your apricots and place on grill for 3-4 mins until lightly caramelized, but not mushy. De-stem your kale, and slice into thin ribbons. Drizzle kale ribbons with olive oil and massage for 5 minutes, being sure to rub the thicker parts between two fingers to soften. Let kale sit for 5-10 mins to soften a bit more. Add in avocado, almonds, and apricots. Make your dressing be combining all ingredients and stirring vigorously before adding to the salad. Toss and enjoy!

(Video by Jamie Oliveira)