Fertility recipes: kale salad with pickled pumpkin, cilantro, and lime

Kale is heralded as a superfood with good reason, but pumpkin is packed full of good-for-you – and good-for-your fertility – nutrients too. With lime, cilantro, honey, garlic, and Pecorino Romano added to the mix, this unique salad can’t be beat.

Bold kale salad recipe with pickled pumpkin

Ingredients

Kale salad with pickled pumpkin, cilantro, and lime

• 4-5 stalks of kale
• 1-2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds (pepitas), toasted
• 1 bunch of cilantro
• juice from three limes
• 1-2 very small cloves of garlic
• 1/3 cup of pumpkin seed oil (or extra virgin olive oil)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2-3 spoonfuls of pickled pumpkin chunks (recipe below)
• shaved Pecorino Romano (optional)

Pickled pumpkin

• one (4-5 lb) pumpkin (not the jack-o-lantern type)
• salt
• 2 cups white vinegar
• 1 cup pure maple syrup
• 4 cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 8 peppercorns
• 1/4 teaspoon whole mustard seeds
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 clove garlic

Directions

Kale salad with pickled pumpkin, cilantro, and lime

1. Remove the stalks of the kale, then tear the leaves into bite sized pieces and set aside.
2. Toast the pumpkin seeds in a saucepan over medium heat until they are fragrant and slightly browned.
3. In a food processor or blender add one bunch of cilantro (stems and leaves), juice from three limes, one or two small cloves of garlic, pumpkin seed oil, honey, and salt and pepper to taste.
4. Process these ingredients until thoroughly combined.
5. Add a few spoonfuls of the dressing to the torn kale leaves and massage it into the kale, making sure that each leaf of kale is coated in dressing and giving it a slightly bruised look.
6. Add more dressing as required (and store extra dressing in the refrigerator).
7. Divide the kale onto two plates and top with pickled pumpkin, toasted pumpkin seeds, and shaved Pecorino Romano (if desired).
8. Serve and enjoy!

Pickled pumpkin

1. Peel and seed the pumpkin and cut it into small cubes.
2. Sprinkle on a heavy amount of salt, and then stir to coat the pumpkin chunks. Set this aside for 2-3 hours to draw out the moisture from the pumpkin.
3. Meanwhile prepare a water bath canner and sterilize 4 pint jars.
4. Place the remaining ingredients into a saucepan over medium heat.
5. Bring everything to a boil and then reduce the heat to simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Rinse the salt off the pumpkin chunks and pack them into hot sterilized jars.
7. Pour the hot brine over the pumpkin chunks, leaving a 1/2 inch space at the top of each jar.
8. Wipe rims, apply lids, and rings, and then process in your boiling water bath canner for 20 minutes.

Image and kale and salad recipe reprinted with permission from www.kitchen-apparel.com and www.healthyaperture.com