let’s be realistic for a minute.
i don’t know what it’s like where you live, but here in minnesota there’s at least a foot of snow on the ground, the bottom layer of which is leftover from maybe november. in three entire months the local farmer’s markets will open and it will be several weeks after that that anything other than kale and local honey will be available.
so let’s not get ahead of ourselves. any strawberry-filled recipes i could give you now will probably lay forgotten on the just-barely-thawed-out ground by the time they’re actually in season. but take a deep breath. we’ll get there.
this recipe is inspired by a dish called “hangover kale” that I ate at mucci’s italian for my birthday last year. it was listed on the menu under “side dishes” but i ordered it as an appetizer and ate the entire thing by myself. a bowl full of kale. and a happy little me.
and yes, this is apparently not the vegetarian blog that you thought it was. but let me tell you that the pancetta is the least important ingredient here and can most definitely be left out for a delicious lemony bowl full of winter’s finest. eat it all by yourself or share it with someone you love. i think you’re really going to like this.
-kara
- ½ cup cubed pancetta (or ¼ cup olive oil if not using pancetta)
- 1 clove garlic, sliced
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1 large bunch kale, removed from stems and torn into bite-sized pieces
- juice of ½ lemon
- good-quality parmesan to taste, grated
- cook the pancetta in a large pan over medium heat until it's just beginning to crisp. (if not using pancetta, heat olive oil over medium heat.) stir in the garlic, red pepper flakes, and lemon zest, then immediately add in the kale. cook until just wilted, stirring often.
- remove the pan from heat and stir in the lemon juice. transfer the kale to a plate and top with parmesan as desired.
I will rush out and get some kale to make this as soon as the “wintry mix” subsides. Thanks!