Kale Salad with Parmesan Croutons and Spiced Pumpkin Seeds Recipe

Makes 8 Servings

½ cup olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2-3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
1 bunch kale (about ¾ pound), tough stems removed and leaves chopped into bite-size pieces
Parmesan Croutons (recipe, below)
Spiced Pumpkin Seeds (recipe, below)
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan

In a food processor, pulse olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon, garlic, and salt until smooth and emulsified. In a salad bowl, toss kale with dressing; let rest 10 minutes to allow kale to soften slightly. Add croutons and pumpkin seeds to taste, then toss to combine. Sprinkle salad with Parmesan and serve immediately.

[mf_h2 align=”left” transform=”uppercase”]Parmesan Croutons Recipe[/mf_h2]

Makes 3 cups

½ day-old baguette, cut into ¼-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
¼ cup olive oil
1 cup grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, toss bread cubes with olive oil until evenly saturated. Sprinkle grated Parmesan over top and toss until bread cubes are thoroughly coated. Spread onto rimmed baking sheet and bake, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and fragrant, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool on pan. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Emily Simoness’ team often puts in wholesale orders directly with Ryder Farm’s staff for large meals. When smaller needs arise, they head to the roadside farmstand and plunk cash in the honesty jar before nabbing fresh produce, like the curly kale used here.

[mf_h2 align=”left” transform=”uppercase”]Spiced Pumpkin Seeds Recipe[/mf_h2]

Makes 1½ cups

1½ cups raw pumpkin seeds (about ½ pound)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1½ tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½-1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
½ teaspoon salt
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread raw pumpkin seeds on ungreased rimmed baking pan and bake for 10 minutes, shaking pan occasionally so seeds don’t burn. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk remaining ingredients together.

2. Remove pan from oven and carefully add seeds to bowl, tossing to evenly coat. Return seeds to same baking sheet and spread out in an even layer. Continue roasting seeds, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and fragrant, about 15 minutes more. Allow to cool completely on pan, breaking up any seeds that clump together. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.