Winter Kale & Wild Mushroom Salad with Manchego

It's cold here in New York, like really cold. This mild winter we have been having came to a halt yesterday with temperatures in the teens. I cant seem to seem to keep warm and I drink tea all day. While making a quick run into the city for a meeting, I decided to stroll through the farmers market. Amazed with the dedication of the farmers. Standing all day in these harsh weather conditions to sell us vegetables, I thanked them. While its slim pickens I did manage to find some beautiful baby kale and wild mushrooms. A warm wintery salad I thought, for me eating is all about choosing the best ingredients, never over thinking a dish and making it as simple as possible. I roasted these beautiful mushrooms and tossed them warm with the baby kale, shaved some manchego cheese on top and you have a warm healthy lunch in no time at all.

Ingredients

1 bunch of baby curly kale (regular kale is fine)
1 pound of wild mushrooms
manchego cheese
champagne vinegar
olive oil
sea salt and pepper


Method

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, using a damp towel remove dirt from the mushrooms. Cut into desired size and place in a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil, sea salt and pepper. Place in the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes until crispy. Tossing the pan a few times to insure even cooking. Wash and trim kale. In a large bowl combine 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar and 3 tablespoons olive oil. Add kale, dress and season. Take the mushrooms hot out of the oven and place into the bowl. Its nice if the kale wilts a little. Serve onto a plate and shave manchego cheese on top. A poached egg would be a nice addition.