Well, maybe it isn’t new exactly. But “a revived hustle” sounds like it might be wheezing, and that’s definitely not true. I’m ghostwriting, this time for some really brilliant women who are leaders in their fields. I had forgotten what it was like not to couch everything in friendly examples of things people might want to do, read, cook, or whatever, because who wants to be bossed around by a blog post? The fact is that nobody wants to be bossed around by a blog post EXCEPT WHEN THEY DO. And now I am getting to help experts I admire flex their authority through written work while I take their direction. I love it so much.

And more good news:

My pattern, Continuous, inspired by the work of Ruth Asawa, and an essay of mine about her, is in the new book, I Knit San Francisco. I’m so delighted with this project, and I hope that you’ll pick up a copy for yourself or for your friends who are knitters. If you prefer an e-book, you can get it through Ravelry.

Finally, I am wrangling with a question right now. I’ve been cooking a lot from recipes in books recently, and to date, I have never published on this blog any recipe from a book that wasn’t already published somewhere online, unless I had permission from the author (like I got from David Asher when we were making cheese). I am not sure if this is too ethical a position, or what. I know there are some bloggers who link to cookbooks and also provide the particular recipe, adapted or not. Sometimes, this “sharing” encourages people to actually buy the cookbook, and I think that’s a great thing. My concern, though, lies in what seem to be the downsides of this “sharing” practice, including my giving away on the Internet something that isn’t mine to give (even if I manage technically to comply with copyright law).

Tricky, right? Or maybe not. Regardless, I want to share a terrific Kale Salad with Roasted Persimmons and Citrus Miso Dressing that I made after eating a similar salad at Firefly Restaurant. I was inspired to try to replicate it because it was so delicious and I had never thought of roasting persimmons. We’ve also been eating a lot of the Kale Caesar and Collard Greens salad from in the Six Seasons Cookbook. What can I say—I’m into well-prepared hearty greens.

And when I say well-prepared hearty greens, I mean kale or collards that have been cut into a chiffonade. This cutting technique makes it so enjoyable to eat these kinds of salads, and any other technique just doesn’t give as good a result.

Kale Salad with Roasted Persimmons and Citrus Miso Dressing

Ingredients:

3 Fuyu persimmons
2 bunches of dino (lacinato) kale
2 tablespoons of miso (any kind, but I used a pretty light one)
The zest and juice of a couple of lemons
Several tablespoons of toasted sesame seeds
Olive Oil
Kosher salt

Instructions:

First, roast the persimmons. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the top and center core area of the persimmons, then chop the fruit into pieces that are close to 1/2” cubes. A little smaller and slightly wedge-shaped is also fine. Toss the pieces with a glug of olive oil and a sprinkle of kosher salt. Spread them on a sheet pan and roast them until they are soft and start to brown, about 20 minutes. Stir them once or twice while you’re roasting them. Remove them from the oven and let them cool.

Take two bunches of dino (lacinato) kale, remove the ribs, and cut all the leaves into a chiffonade (as described in the link above), where each ribbon is only about 1/8” wide. (You can then chop the strips crosswise, into smaller pieces, if you prefer your salad in small pieces.) Put the cut leaves in a large salad bowl, and in a separate small bowl, mix up a dressing that’s based on this really simple 2-ingredient one. Measure your miso, zest the citrus you plan to use, add the zest to the miso, and then add the juice to the mixture. Add 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil and mix well. Taste and adjust flavors as needed. Add the cooled, roasted persimmon pieces to the kale. Pour the dressing over the kale and roasted persimmons, toss well, and sprinkle with a lot of toasted sesame seeds (I used about 3 tablespoons, but see what works for you). Toss again and serve!