Kale, Strawberry + Feta Fattoush!

Summertime deliciousness is this easy to make, prep-a-few-hours-ahead salad.  I served it with yak kebobs, rice pilaf and some homemade garlic sauce.   Say goodbye to that sorry bag of salad mix and bottle of dressing and massage some kale!

Salad Ingredients:

1 bunch organic red or green curly kale
5-6 medium-large organic strawberries
3 oz feta or other creamy cheese (I used Israeli Sheep milk Feta and it was deeelish)
1 large lemon or 2 small, juiced
Olive oil
Salt
1-2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced finely
1-2 tsp Sumac, which can be found at your local Arabic market
1 tsp honey (optional)
Pita chips (see below -OR- buy yours pre-made)

Wash the produce really well and pat dry.   Clean kale by de-stemming all of the large, thick middle stalks.  Rip into bite sized pieces and put in a large mixing bowl.    Drizzle with a little bit of olive oil and a couple of shakes of salt.  Now get your hands in there, and give it a really good massage, for 3-5 minutes, until the kale softens a bit.  Depending on how much time you have until serving, it will continue to soften on its own while it sits in the fridge.




Dressing:  

Whisk 2 T olive oil, the juice of the lemon, sumac, honey, salt and garlic until combined.   The salad can be dressed in advance and topped with the berries and feta.    

When ready to serve, top with the baked chips to make sure they stay nice and crunchy.  Toss and serve.

Pita Chip Ingredients & Directions:
2 whole wheat pitas
Olive oil
Salt

Preheat oven to 375.  Cut pitas with a kitchen scissor into bite sized pieces.  In a mixing bowl, toss pita with a drizzle of olive oil and a few shakes of salt.   You don't want the chips to be drenched with olive oil, just enough to flavor them and help them toast.  Spread on a baking sheet and bake for approx 8 minutes, until crispy.  let cool.