Weekend Cooking: My New Favorite Salad

I think you already know that I really love Michael Schwartz's Genuine Pizza, which I received for being a member of the 2018-2019 Abrams Dinner Party.

We've made a number of pizzas using Schwartz's crust (with its secret ingredient of beer), and I love the simple pizza sauce, which uses only 4 ingredients.

If you recall from my overview, one of the fantastic things about Genuine Pizza is that it includes recipes that move beyond just pizza. Schwartz includes desserts, drinks, soups, and more.

I've had my eye on one of the salads since this cookbook first entered my kitchen, and it's finally time to try it. I've been waiting for all the ingredients (well, most of them) to show up at our local farmer's market. That time is now.

Behold a perfect late summer salad. It's easy to put together and is easily scalable. For example, the recipe calls for one beet, but the photo (scanned from Genuine Pizza) definitely shows two--one red, one yellow. I'm good with that and followed suit.

The recipe notes suggest using any leftover dressing for another salad, for chicken or fish, or as a sandwich spread. You can even use it as a dip for veggies or French fries.

Kale Salad
Serves 6

• 1 large beet, trimmed and scrubbed
• 8 cups rough-chopped Tuscan kale
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup chopped dill, plus more for garnish
• 2 tablespoons hulled raw sunflower seeds, plus more for garnish
• 1/4 cup Sunflower Seed Dressing
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 8 tablespoons crumbled goat cheese

Preheat oven to 425F. Wrap beet in aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes, until soft when pierced with a knife. Transfer to a plate and let cool completely before peeling and cutting into large dice.

In a large bowl combine the beet, kale, onion, dill, and sunflower seeds. Toss with the dressing until ingredients are coated, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide among four plates and garnish with dill and sunflower seeds. Top with goat cheese before serving.

Sunflower Seed Dressing
Makes 1 1/4 cups

• 1/2 cup hulled raw sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup packed dill
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon tahini
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

In a large bowl, combine everything except the oil. Using an immersion blender, process until smooth. With the blender motor running, slowly drizzle in the oil until the dressing is emulsified. Taste and adjust seasonings. Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. (I used a regular blender.)

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