Cruciferous Salad with Peas and Parmesan

I’ll start out by saying that this salad is loaded with Parmigiano Reggiano. You don’t have to use that Parmesan cheese to make it. But if you can get your hands on some I’d highly recommend it. 

We had the grand opportunity to visit Parma when we were in Italy in early April and were treated to a tour. It ended with a generous gift of two boxes of the cheese which we made sure to get back to the US, even if it meant it traveled to Lisbon and London before it got there. 

The tour was outstanding. Unfortunately, I have yet to explore my photos from the trip. Soon…

Until then, we’ve been eating it and I’ve been cooking with it a bit here and there. Including this salad.

I grabbed some kale at the farmers market, then some fresh peas at the farm stand. I added some cabbage from the supermarket and a couple more extras. 

It’s really simple, but such a great mix of textures and seasonal flavors. 

Ingredients

1/2 bunch lacinato kale, chopped
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
2 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
3/4 cup fresh peas, blanched
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
1/4 cup shaved Parmesan Reggiano
2 tablespoons dry roasted sunflower seeds

Preparation

Place the kale in a bowl and add 1 teaspoon of the olive oil. Massage the oil into the kale for about 30 seconds. 

Add the cabbage and the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and toss well. Add the peas, dill, lemon juices, and salt. Toss again. Then top with the cheese and sunflower seeds. Serve right away.