Massaged kale salad with dried cranberries, pistachios and kumquats

This salad from the Yummy Supper cookbook surprised us - we knew we would like it, but we LOVED IT! I'm already planning to make it again...

MASSAGED KALE SALAD WITH DRIED CRANBERRIES, PISTACHIOS 

AND KUMQUATS

serves 6-8

1/3 cup olive oil

3 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 Tbsp maple syrup

1/4 - 1/2 tsp sea salt

2 large bunches kale (8-9 packed cups), fully dried after washing

8 - 10 kumquats, thinly sliced into rounds, leave the peel on but discard any seeds (widely          available, I got ours at our regular grocery store, after googling what to look for :))

1/3 cup sweetened dried cranberries

1/3 cup chopped roasted salted pistachios

In a very large salad bowl, whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, maple syrup and 1/4 tsp of the sea salt. 

Discard the rough stems of your kale. Lay the leaves on top of each other, roll them up like a cigar, and chop widthwise into thin strips, a rough chiffonade.  Add the leaves to the salad bowl, then use your hands to massage the dressing into the kale.  after 3-5 minutes of massaging, the fibers will break down and the leaves will feel like silky seaweed. 

Toss the massaged kale leaves with the kumquat slices, dried cranberries and pistachios.  Add additional lemon juice and salt to taste if desired.