What even is the farmers market right now? Basically a root vegetable pile and all the kale. So that is the state of produce in my life. But even this winter/bummer predicament can be brightened up with some crunchy honeycrisp, tart cranberries and creamy goat cheese.

You can make a huge batch of this recipe and keeps for days. It actually gets better as it sits. This salad has prevented me from living on an all comfort food diet (read: cheese and carbs) for the month of February. Spring where are you…….

Inspired by CookieandKate

You’ll need

Salad:

1 very large bunch of kale

1 medium Honeycrisp apple

1 medium bulb of fennel

3 ounces chilled goat cheese, grumbled

1/3 cup dried cranberries

0.25 cups sunflower seeds, toasted (or choose your choice of seed/nut)

Sea salt

Dressing:

0.25 cup olive oil

1 teaspoons lemon zest

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon maple syrup

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Pinch of salt

Fresh Pepper

Remove ribs from the kale, then discard ribs. Chop kale leaves into small pieces. Transfer the chopped kale to a large bowl. Sprinkle a small pinch of sea salt over the kale and massage the leaves with your hands by lightly scrunching big handfuls at a time, until the leaves are darker in color. This takes some of the bitterness out.

Chop the apple into bite-sized pieces. Use a mandoline to slice the fennel as thin as possible. Transfer apple and fennel to bowl with kale. Add goat cheese, cranberries and sunflower seeds to salad.

Mix all dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Toss salad with dressing.