Kentucky Harvest Recipe

Toast and Candy Walnuts

Place a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the sugar and butter, stirring until sugar begins to melt and combine with butter (about 1 minute). Add walnut halves and stir continuously to coat. When sugar has melted and walnuts are evenly glazed (2–3 minutes), add a pinch of salt and transfer the walnuts to a sheet of parchment to cool and harden. Break into bite-sized pieces. Let cool completely before adding to salad.

Combine Vinaigrette

In a small bowl or jar, combine the apple cider vinegar, sorghum syrup, minced shallot, Dijon mustard, and honey. Whisk or shake until smooth.

Slowly drizzle in the extra-virgin olive oil while whisking briskly (or add oil to the jar and shake vigorously) to emulsify the dressing. If the vinaigrette is too viscous, whisk in up to 1 tablespoon neutral oil or a little water to reach desired consistency.

Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Taste and adjust balance—add an extra teaspoon of sorghum if you prefer sweeter, or another teaspoon of vinegar for more brightness. Set aside at room temperature.

Prepare Kale

Wash and thoroughly dry the kale. Remove tough stems and stack leaves; roll them up and thinly slice crosswise into ribbons. Place the sliced kale in a large mixing bowl.

Massage the kale with about 1 tablespoon vinaigrette and a pinch (about 1/4 tsp) of salt: using your hands, rub and squeeze the kale for 1–2 minutes until it softens and brightens in color. This tenderizes the leaves and improves flavor absorption.

Add Fruit and Seeds

Core and thinly slice the apples (leave skin on for color). Toss the apple slices with a light squeeze of lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon of the vinaigrette if you want to prevent browning. Add the apple slices and the pomegranate seeds to the massaged kale.

Dress and Toss

Pour 2–3 tablespoons of the Apple-Sorghum Vinaigrette over the kale, apples, and pomegranate seeds (reserve extra dressing to serve on the side). Toss gently but thoroughly to combine, ensuring fruit and seeds are evenly distributed.

Add Walnuts and Parmesan

Add the candied walnuts and half of the shaved Parmesan to the salad. Toss lightly to combine so the walnuts remain in pieces and the cheese begins to cling to the leaves.

Taste and adjust seasoning with the remaining salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed.

Plate and Finish

Transfer the salad to a serving platter or individual plates. Sprinkle the remaining shaved Parmesan on top, scatter a few extra pomegranate seeds for color, and finish with a few extra walnut pieces. Serve immediately with remaining vinaigrette on the side.