Raw kale salad with cranberries + pine nuts

Kale is one of those veggies that just looks so intimidating. Really strong, crinkly, thick green leaves curling up defiantly. I have always shied away because, quite frankly, I haven't a clue what to do with it. It's just not one of those vegetables you grow up with in a Chinese home, and you rarely find it on restaurant menus (unless maybe if you're in the South?).

I have a colleague who is obsessed with detoxifying, juicing, cleansing, shakras, basically all that holistic mumbo-jumbo that isn't scientifically proven. She shops everyday at Whole Paycheck Foods during her lunch break, and most days, brings back the Asian Sesame Kale Salad (the closest recipe I could find), and can't say enough about it. So I finally decided to give kale a go at home to save money, although I ended up making the Raw Kale Salad that WF offers in the pre-made refrigerated salad section (because I was too lazy to sautee the kale, as called for in the other recipe). The result was a light, fresh-tasting, simple salad that sang of summer but easily transitions into fall with the cranberries and pine nuts. I think I will eat this year-round.

Fair warning: I only had this once, so not sure if I successfully recreated it exactly, even if it did turn out tasty!

Ingredients
1 bunch kale leaves
1 tsp iodized salt
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Pepper, to taste
Tomatoes, diced into small pieces
Cranberries or raisins
Pine nuts

Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, and pepper together to make a dressing.

Sprinkle salt onto raw kale leaves. Knead for a few minutes until salt begins to wilt leaves. Be sure to taste kale to make sure it's not oversalted. Chop kale finely, and toss with most of dressing. Add tomatoes, cranberries, and pine nuts, and toss with remainder of dressing. To round out the meal, serve with boiled quinoa, if desired.

Easy-peasy!