Pineapple, Mint and Crispy Kale Salad

When The Seasons Cross

Who else gets excited at the thought of a salad, especially a salad during the warm summer months? Here is a little slice of something experimental but delicious.

At the beginning of summer, you can be blessed with the rare occasion of having seasonal overlap. One of my favourite things to do is mixing seasonal produce when/if this happens. Call me crazy, but boy do the mixing of hearty with light and fresh result in a unique and wholesome dishes.

Like a fridge-clean-out-recipe this recipe relies on substitution - if you have one thing but not another, then feel free to do the switch-a-roo. Because this seasonal overlap probably only lasts a few days and with varying ingredients, you cannot go to the shops and fetch what you don’t have. Be brave, be bold and be daring - it will often end is an accidental culinary masterpiece. 

Pineapple, mint and crispy kale salad

Ingredients

• 2 stalks kale

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• ½ tsp salt

• ½ pineapple, skin and core removed

• 6 sprigs mint, roughly chopped

• 1 tsp sugar

• ½ lime, juiced

• Your choice of cheese, to serve

• Cheese crackers, to serve

Method

Begin by placing the kale, oil and salt in a pan and cooking on high heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. The kale is ready when it has reduced in size, turned a dark green and some leaves are crisp. Remove from the heat and place in a bowl, in the refrigerator to cool.

Cut the pineapple into large cubes and then into four small cubes. Mix with mint, sugar and lime in a bowl. 

Add the pineapple and mint on to the kale, mix well. 

Arrange on a serving platter with your choice of cheese (I used a fresh goats cheese with a Heidi Gruyere. Make sure you remove from the fridge an hour before use to allow the cheese to reach room temperate. 

Sprinkle with extra mint and cheese crackers.