By The real estate market is strong this week. I showed 9 properties and closed on 1. The pipeline is strong. The phone rings with the steady rhythm of a business that has taken six years to build and refuses to slow down.
Sunday dinner at Mama's was the usual controlled chaos. Mama made moussaka and it was, as always, extraordinary. The table held fourteen people. The arguments held more opinions than the chairs held bodies. This is how Greek families communicate: loudly, with food, over each other.
I thought about Baba this week. Not the grief — the grief is always there, a familiar companion now — but the man. The way he stood at the bakery counter with his arms crossed. The way he hummed Greek songs he never knew the words to. The way he loved us in silence, which was the loudest love I have ever known.
I made a watermelon and feta salad with fresh mint and olive oil. Sweet, salty, refreshing — the taste of summer distilled into a bowl. The kitchen smelled like cinnamon and the Gulf breeze and I thought: this is what survives. Not the money or the stress or the arguments about phyllo. The food survives. The recipes survive. The love baked into every dish survives.
The house was quiet this evening. I sat at the kitchen table with a glass of wine and the remains of dinner and I thought about all the tables I have sat at — Mama's table in Tarpon Springs, the table in the South Tampa house I lost, the table in the apartment where I started over, this table where I have fed my children for years. Every table is a different chapter. The food connects them all.
The watermelon and feta reminded me that the best food asks almost nothing of you — it just gives. After nine showings and a Sunday table full of fourteen loud, wonderful people and all the feelings that come with thinking about Baba, I wanted something crisp and clean and honest. This shredded kale and Brussels sprouts salad is that kind of dish: the kind you make when you need to feed yourself well without making a production of it, the kind that quietly holds its own next to moussaka or a glass of wine at an empty kitchen table.
Shredded Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 15 min | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 3 cups shredded lacinato (Tuscan) kale, stems removed
- 3 cups shredded Brussels sprouts (about 12 oz)
- 1/3 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 small garlic clove, finely minced
- 1/2 teaspoon honey
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Shred the greens. Using a sharp knife or a food processor fitted with a slicing blade, thinly shred the Brussels sprouts and kale. Transfer both to a large mixing bowl.
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, honey, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
- Massage and dress. Pour about two-thirds of the dressing over the shredded greens. Use clean hands to gently massage the dressing into the kale and Brussels sprouts for about 1 minute, until the leaves soften slightly and darken in color.
- Add toppings. Scatter the shaved Parmesan, toasted almonds, and dried cranberries over the salad. Drizzle with the remaining dressing and toss gently to combine.
- Taste and serve. Taste for seasoning, adjusting salt, pepper, or lemon as needed. Serve immediately or let sit for up to 20 minutes — the greens hold up beautifully and the flavors deepen as they rest.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 165 | Protein: 5g | Fat: 11g | Carbs: 13g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 180mg