hopefully, a salad worth waiting for

i really debated not posting this recipe.

one of the main ingredients isn't even in season anymore,

for goodness' sake.

but, i really have been working on this post for months -

writing here and there,

editing the pictures,

occasionally adding one here -

and i decided that the only way that i can move on

and start posting, is if i get this mountain of a post

out of the way. so, i'm going for it.

***

over the summer,

i was on a work trip and i was

asked if larry and i go out

to dinner.

my answer: yes, more than we

probably should, actually.

the response: based on your blog,

it doesn't seem like you do. i feel like

restaurants are a really good place

for inspiration.

i've been thinking about that a lot.

we do go out to eat - at least once a

week, on most saturdays.

but, we often go out for sushi,

or for food that i'm not so quick

to create at home. or, when

larry really just wants a steak.

that's not to say

that we don't sometimes go out

for dinner,

just because i'm craving something

or i've heard about a new restaurant,

or we're bored of all the other

places we regularly visit.

and, for all three reasons,

that's how we ended up

at porta, in asbury park,

in november.

porta is a newish restaurant,

factory and loft-like,

loud and packed,

drafty and somewhat threadbare

with picnic style seating and

wine served in juice glasses.

and, somehow, it's just right.

through first unfortunate,

and then, fortunate circumstances,

we nabbed a table within three minutes

of walking in, in spite of a 45 minute wait.

we were asked if we preferred to sit

next to each other, or across,

and even though the couple nearest

us had chosen the very close together option,

we decided to face each other.

i ordered a glass of red,

larry, surprised by the selection, and excited,

ordered a dale's pale ale.

in. the. can.

pizza, we knew, was dinner.

that is dinner at porta.

i ordered one with arugula and truffle oil.

larry's decision was made easy when he read

about the carbonara, whose star was the

egg baked into the cheese on top.

for an appetizer,

we debated between a few,

but i pushed hard for the

cavolo nero:

kale salad

with shaved watermelon radishes

and roasted sunchokes.

when it came out,

i was initially disappointed.

the plate was large - huge, i

might argue - but the salad seemed

small tossed into a messy

pile, somewhat off center on the dish,

somewhat, uncared for.

i divvied up most of it between two plates.

and, then, i took a bite.

this salad was fantastic.

the kale, not at all tender,

was full of character. the sunchokes

were golden, the radishes a slightly bitter

foil. the strips of toasted bread

seemed so much more than croutons,

garlicky and spicy. the teeny, tiny cubes

of pecorino were firm and salty,

and worth fishing off the bottom of the plate.

but the thing that i loved about this

salad, the thing that made me wish i had

ordered my own and the thing that

made me decide that i absolutely

had to make this at home,

was the bright lemony dressing,

way more acidic than i would have

ever had the nerve to serve.

i was sad when it was over.

my pizza - it was good.

the wine - i enjoyed.

but that salad.

it was an appetizer to

put all other appetizers to shame.

that tuesday,

i looked online and found

this recipe from

101 cookbooks.

it seemed so similar that i wondered

if porta had used it as a jumping off point

when creating theirs. heidi used breadcrumbs

instead of croutons, and her pecorino

was grated into shavings. but it seemed

like a good place to start.

once made,

it was pretty clear that,

save for adjusting for personal taste,

this was the only recipe i needed.

i had toasted croutons,

and cubed the pecorino into

teeny tiny pieces, just like we

ate at porta. when we sat down

to eat the salad, i was thrilled

with the results.

tart,

garlicky,

acidic,

slightly spicy

and a mouthful to eat.

this is food that you are forced

to chew, forced to experience

and, if you're larry, forced to embrace

several more times.

lemony kale salad with pecorino

adapted from 101 cookbooks

i've made this salad several time since, adding roasted mushrooms, roasted halved shallots, roasted tomatoes, and most often, roasted delicata squash that has been seasoned with cayenne. i wish the salad in this picture featured any of the other options, because it's true: i took these pictures so long ago and started this blog post so long ago (i'm pretty sure i made this particular salad the same day i made cashew brittle for holiday gifts), that one of the main ingredients is no longer in season. don't fret - just add your favorite veggie to roast.

on the pecorino: i'm torn. the first few times i made this salad, i cut the pecorino into the teeniest tiniest bites. each time, they fell to the bottom of the salad, along with tiny pieces of garlic. each time i stabbed one with my fork, it was a gamble - would i end up with a mouthful of salty wonderfulness or a mouthful of garlic? so, this time, i made it with larger cubes and it was delicious, but much more salty. since making this salad, several kale salads have been posted online here and here. both involve grating the cheese. maybe an option?

last thing: leftovers are really, really good. maybe even better than the first time.

1 medium delicata squash, halved lengthwise, seeded and sliced

4-5 ounces bread (my favorites for this: sourdough and multigrain), cubed into 1/2-inch dice

1/4 cup olive oil, divided

4 large cloves garlic, peeled, finely chopped and divided

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning

pinch or two cayenne pepper, if desired

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, divided (or more to taste)

salt and pepper

1 large juicy lemon, juiced (you want at least 3 tablespoons)

2-3 ounces pecorino romano, cut into small dice

1 large bunch tuscan kale, stemmed and torn into 1-inch pieces

heat oven to 375˚f. in bowl, combine squash, 1 tablespoon olive oil, cayenne pepper, kosher salt and black pepper, if desired. place squash in single layer on aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. bake 12 minutes; flip. bake 8-12 minutes more, or until tender and slightly golden. set squash aside.

meanwhile, prepare croutons: in same bowl that you used for the squash, combine bread cubes, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 clove chopped garlic and a couple pinches red pepper flakes; season with kosher salt and black pepper, if desired. when the squash comes out of the oven, arrange croutons on baking sheet in single layer. bake 6-7 minutes, or until golden. flip and bake 5-7 minutes more, or until golden brown and crunchy throughout (if the croutons are not completely crunchy and you have leftovers, they will be soggy the next day. believe me: it's a bummer.)

meanwhile, place remaining garlic on cutting board. sprinkle with salt. let sit 5 minutes. cut and mash with sharp knife to form a chunky paste. transfer to a small bowl; add lemon juice and a remaining red pepper flakes. drizzle in olive oil, whisking constantly. add pecorino to dressing.

place kale in bowl (i use the same one that i used for the squash and croutons). top with squash and croutons (if you're going to save some of the salad for the next day, save some of the croutons, too). top with dressing and toss; let sit at least 10 minutes before serving.