Balsamic Beets & Kale, Oh My!!

Everybody!  I'm back!  It's been awhile, and I've got SO many recipes to share with you, so let's get started.

Literally as I type this, I am eating this delicious and ridonkulously easy recipe for balsamic beet and kale salad.  You can find the original recipe here.

As usual, almost all of my ingredients are from the Hollygrove Market & Farm.  As many of you know I volunteer there every Sunday afternoon; it's a refreshing change of pace from the office life, I get to interact with approximately a million different people every time, and I get a great deal on fresh, local produce, grass-fed meats (namely pork, chicken, beef, and lamb), and locally produced goodies like jams, honey, and even fresh-roasted coffee.  WIN.

For this recipe, I peeled and sliced a handful of beets, shredded a whole bunch (literally, an entire bunch, approximately one pound) of kale, and finely minced a shallot.  In a separate bowl, I whisked together equal parts olive oil and some balsamic vinegar my mom gave me (for some reason I think she made it...?  Mom, do you make wineegar?!); the recipe calls for Dijon mustard, but I substituted what I had: creole mustard and honey.  I added salt and pepper to taste, then drizzled the dressing over the shredded/minced veggies in a large bowl.

Then I ate it.

I love this salad for its versatility; I've eaten it alone, added it to salads for pizzazz, stuffed it in quesadillas, eaten it over rice, eaten more of it alone, topped eggs with it, put it in an omelet, etc.  It's got a surprisingly complex mix of tart, sweet, spicy, crunchy, and delicious.  It would make a great side dish for a last-minute spring or summer potluck!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna cut this short so I can go eat some more....