Roasted Carrot and Kale Salad

Wow, the weather really turned on for us this weekend. 
Gone are the clouds, the rain and that smell of undried washing that seems to permeate my house in the winter months.  The sun has shone down upon our gardens and our grateful faces and as the sun begins to lay its weary head I think something within all of us has cheered, at least just a little. Spring is but a week away and beyond that summer is waving her sparkly hand. 

I spent the day  at a still,  beautiful beach with some not so still but still beautiful children and my darling. At days end, I am not craving the grounding winter offerings of beans and spices that have kept my innards warm this winter but instead, I have leaned towards a beautiful salad dinner, inspired by a gorgeous book I bought last week in Sydney. 

It has  buckets of beta carotene from the  carrots and kale to keep your eyes  keen and your skin  glowing  like that of the sunkissed.  Freekah within  is my new favourite grain, smoky and firm, it is whole wheat, smoked over a fire until the husks burn away. I dressed it with juice from tangelo and grapefruit which are a dime a dozen this time of year along with some mint which is threatening to conquer my garden.

Whats in it? 

Salad

• Eight small carrots, cut lengthways
• Glug of olive oil
• 1 onion
• Juice of a lemon
• teaspoon of zaatar
• 1/2 cup of freekah cooked 
• 1 handful of kale, destemmed
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1/2 cup of parsley
• 1/2 cup of mixed  tamari sunflower seeds and hazelnuts 

Dressing

• Juice of one tangelo and one grapefruit
• 1 tablespoon of honey or maple syrup
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 tspn of apple cider vinegar
• Decent glug of olive oil
• 1/2 cup of mint leaves
• Salt and pepper to taste

How do you make it?

• Chop the carrots, season and roast in the oven at about 200 for about 30 mins. About half way through add the onion. Once cooked squeeze over the lemon juice and sprinkle over the zaatar.
• Cook the freekah in salted boiling water for 15 mins. Set aside once cooked. 
• Season and wilt the kale in the olive oil, with garlic clove in a pot for 2 mins. 
• Remove and throw together the freekah, kale, cooked carrots and toss through the parsley. 
• Pour over dressing and toss then top with additional parsley and nuts and seeds.

This salad tastes like spring feels. Light and breezy and full of sunshine. This is going to grace my lunchbox tomorrow and will no doubt make the office green with envy. 

Enjoy!