Who’d have thought I would have a garden update for the month of November?  Despite numerous freezes and a couple of snowfalls, we still have a couple of things going on outside.  First, some kale that I planted in July or so.  It never got above micro-size but it was enough to make a little salad with:

Also, most of our herbs are still going strong.  Especially this patch of parsley near the house.  I think the dogwood bush and parsley might be good companions, because all summer long the dogwood shaded it from the hot summer sun, and now that the bush is bare, the parsley is soaking up all the cool winter sun it can get.  The fact that it is right next to the house also helps shelter it from the wild temperature swings:

I am home alone today so I made myself a little massaged kale salad.  First, I washed up the freshly picked kale, parsley and a little rosemary:

Next I salted the kale and massaged it vigorously for 1-2 minutes.  It reduced down:

Then I drained off the bitter juices, tossed it with the parsley, some lemon juice, olive oil, chunks of cheddar cheese, and a handful of sunflower seeds (decided to leave the rosemary out, in the end).  Delicious.

I like making salads out of kale this time of year.  It’s a little more substantial than lettuce, which feels right when it’s cold outside.  Massaging the kale makes it release its bitter juices, improving the flavor considerably and making it easier to digest.  This salad that I made today is a much simplified version of the massaged kale salad recipe from Cookus Interruptus, which I have made several times and highly recommend.  But really, anytime you combine greens, nuts and cheese you can’t go wrong.