Emerald City Salad

This is one of those salads that you probably have to try it to believe it—it is so good, but is made from some pretty humble ingredients! Last week my mom and I went with David to my favorite natural foods store in the area, PCC, to sign the petition for GMO labeling here in Washington. We also grabbed lunch while we were there, and this salad was one of the several goodies that I enjoyed! Of course, I enjoyed it so much that I forgot to sign the petition and had to go back later that week to sign. I’ve signed it now, so I’m good, and I also have this awesome recipe to pass on to you!

Emerald City Salad, adapted from PCC Deli
½ c dry quinoa, cooked according to package directions
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 bunch kale, chard, or mix of the two
1/2 bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
2 large green onions, sliced
1/2 cup chopped parsley

Other things to try: dried cranberries, nuts, sunflower or pumpkin seeds—these are all things I will try next time!

Make the dressing by whisking together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Toss about a ¼ cup with quinoa, and reserve the rest of the dressing.

Remove tough stems and ribs from greens, chiffonade (roll your leaves up together into one bundle and slice, making “ribbons” of greens), and wash well (greens are notoriously sandy/dirty!). Toss remaining dressing over greens and massage for 1-2 minutes, until greens brighten in color and soften (like in my kale salad). Combine with peppers, fennel, green onion and parsley. Add quinoa and toss thoroughly. I enjoyed leftovers of this salad 4 days, yes 4 days, after making it, fully dressed, and it was still crisp and crunchy (and with an Italian Field Roast sausage sliced on top—delicious!)!