This seasonal combination of raw kale, beet, carrot and some pomegranate seeds is a great start to the new year and antidote to the excess of the holiday season.

After 3 turkey dinners and a truly obscene amount of baking and chocolate I need some green leafy vegetables in my life stat.

For the Salad

2 carrots

3 beets

a bunch of kale

half a pomegranate’s seeds

2 avocados

Grate your raw carrots and beets.  I cut off the ends and use the food processor but you could grate them by hand.

Tear kale into bit sized pieces. Now for the fun part; massaging your kale with avocado. This is what makes this salad so delicious.  With clean hands take two avocados and much them into the torn up kale covering each piece.

Combine the avocado massaged kale with the beets, carrots and pomegranate seeds. Toss as evenly as possible.

Dressing

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

1 scant teaspoon of salt

Pour on your dressing and toss again.  Delicious and a nice break from the gravy train.

We’re busy preparing for Rebecca’s 2nd birthday party by making some of our favourite salads.  I am a strict mayonnaise hater and mustard lover so this is our family’s version of potato salad. 

It’s made with new Ontario potatoes, herbs from the garden and a hearty amount of yogurt and mustard.

2 pounds of potatoes
1 cup of organic yogurt
1/4 cup of chives 
1/3 cup of fresh dill
A few springs of fresh parsley
1 teaspoon of curry
1 teaspoon of dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon of mustard seed
1/2 teaspoon of salt
ground pepper to taste

Boil your potatoes for 10 minutes.  Cut them each in half.

Mix your dressing, that’s all of the ingredients except the potatoes and parsley.  Add to your potatoes and cover them gently.  Garnish with the parsley and Volia! Who says you can’t make friends with salad?

In the past I’ve used blue potatoes and its just gorgeous, the yellow of the curry looks great with the blue spuds.  Somehow I don’t have a picture though.  This time we’re enjoying a basket of fresh Ontario potatoes that I bought on Wednesday and bet were still in the ground on Monday. They are heavenly.

Here are last year’s blue and purple potato harvest that were promptly turned into this salad for her 1st birthday. 

We’ll be posting a few more recipes from this weekend’s celebration, just as soon as I actually get a minute to finish making everything, since almost 2 year olds apparently stop napping?! Really.