Let us take a moment to consider Kale. That humble, sweet green with the bitter bite that has the texture of an innertube when not prepared correctly.  You can’t swing a salad spinner around Los Angeles these days without hitting a restaurant with a Kale Salad on the menu.  I am ever hopeful, but alas, have been burned many times by the sub-par kale salad.

Until I encountered the amazing version at Food Lab in Silverlake.  I had read about it on Yelp!, Twitter, Facebook, everywhere, and when I met a friend there for lunch a couple weeks ago, I knew I had to have it. Studded with almonds, shallots, brussels sprouts and romano cheese, this salad is my new obsession.

I think my hacked recipe comes pretty close to the original, and it has become a staple in my kitchen as the spring turns  into summer here in LA.  I make up a big batch of it on Sunday afternoon and then nosh on it for the rest of the week.

The key to a great kale salad is lots of acid in the vinaigrette, then let the leaves sit in the dressing for at least an hour before serving.  The acid in the dressing will soften and sweeten the leaves, transforming the rubbery texture into a lightly crunchy cousin to Butter Lettuce.

To store the salad, I keep the cheese and almonds separate then top the salad with them when I am ready to serve.  I like find the salad is just as good without the cheese, as well.