Raw Kale Salad with Red Pepper Dressing

April 2025. I spoke to Susan about the third book and she responded the way she always does: with immediate enthusiasm and specific questions. What's the angle? Why now? Who is the reader? I've been thinking about these questions for three months and I had answers. The angle: food as the language families speak when they don't have words for what they're trying to say. The timing: because I've been doing this long enough to see the whole arc. The reader: anyone who has ever fed someone they love and understood, in the act of feeding them, what love actually requires.

She said, "You're going to call it 'Feed Them Anyway.'" I hadn't said the title out loud yet. I had it in my notebook. She said it before I could. I said, "How did you know?" She said, "Because that's the title you've been writing toward since the first book." Feed Them Anyway. Not despite the difficulty, not to prove something. Just: the act continues, the kitchen continues, you feed them anyway. Yes.

Ethan's restaurant got its first major review — a piece in a Salt Lake City food magazine that used the phrase "quietly revelatory." He texted me just the phrase with no context and I knew exactly what it meant. I said, "You did it." He said, "We did it." I didn't correct him this time. He's right. This one is ours together.

The spring garden is in. Tomatoes, peppers, zucchini. The annual optimism of seeds in soil. The year is moving at the right speed.

The moment I pressed those pepper seedlings into the soil this year, I wanted something on the table that already tasted like where they’re headed — bright, alive, a little bold. This raw kale salad with red pepper dressing has become my spring ritual: a way of honoring the optimism of the garden before the harvest even begins. It’s the kind of recipe that asks very little of you and gives back more than you expect — which, come to think of it, is exactly what this season has been.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 15 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 large bunch lacinato or curly kale (about 8 cups), stems removed, leaves torn
1 large red bell pepper, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus a drizzle for massaging
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 small clove garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus a pinch for massaging
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup toasted pepitas or sunflower seeds
1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese (optional)

Instructions

Make the dressing. Combine the chopped red bell pepper, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and black pepper in a blender or food processor. Process until completely smooth, about 30–45 seconds. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Massage the kale. Place the torn kale leaves in a large bowl. Drizzle with a small amount of olive oil and add a pinch of salt. Using your hands, massage the kale firmly for 1–2 minutes until the leaves soften, darken slightly, and lose their raw bitterness.
Dress the salad. Pour the red pepper dressing over the massaged kale and toss thoroughly to coat every leaf.
Finish and serve. Scatter the pepitas (or sunflower seeds) over the top and add shaved Parmesan if using. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to 2 hours — the kale holds up well and the flavors deepen as it sits.

Nutrition (per serving)

Raw Kale Salad with Red Pepper Dressing — The Annual Optimism of Seeds in Soil