Kale and Spinach Salad

The great thing about salad is that there are endless options for making one.

It can fit the season, the region, the nutritional needs.  The mighty salad can do it all.

My father’s great uncle lived to be ninety-something, and the man ate salad every day, which was impressive enough, but considering what he had to do to get the salad….

He lived in a “nursing home” (because that’s what they were called then instead of senior retirement communities) where the big ticket items on the menu were jello, pudding and oatmeal.  When he suggested adding salad to the menu, they looked at him like he was off his meds.

“Do you know what that kind of ruffage would do to people here?” they asked in horror.  “It would probably kill them!”

So, every day, he walked over a mile to get his salad, which he was, I believe, able to shorten to under a mile by sprinting across I-81.  (Not making this up.)  He also got himself a six-pack of beer and some whiskey to chase it with, so to this day, we are not sure what kept him going to that ripe old age: the salad, the sprinting, or the whiskey/beer combo. If I make it into my 90’s, I may have to experiment with this formula myself.

Right now, I’m going with salad as the reason he was so fit and healthy.

But salads can be boring.  They don’t have to be, but many times, they are.  Iceberg lettuce, tomato and cucumber.  Period.  Not bad, but not something you’d want to eat every day.  So in an effort to elevate the salad, I’ve come up with this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of  (baby) kale and spinach mixture (this blend had other greens as well, making it a bit on the bitter side.)
• 1/3 cup chopped, pitted medjool dates
• 2 oranges
• 1/2 cup pistachios
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 2 Tablespoons orange juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon agave, or honey

Directions:

1. Put the salad greens into a medium bowl, add dates and pistachios.
2. Zest one of the oranges to get the 1 teaspoon of orange zest, then cut the rind off of the oranges and cut each orange segment out.  If you do this over a bowl to catch the juice, you can use the juice as part or all of the 2 Tablespoons of orange juice. Cut each segment into 2 or 3 pieces and add them to the lettuce mixture.
3. In a small bowl or jar, combine the oil, zest, orange and lemon juice, salt and sweetener (if using).
4. Pour the dressing over the salad and serve immediately.

Enjoy!