I am leaving for France today and am busy packing and trying to make sure that everything for the kids is in order while I am gone. It is always amazing to me how much we juggle as moms, but when you see it in ink, printed on a schedule that you have to hand to the super generous grandparents who have volunteered to stay with them, it is a little freaky! One of the ways that I prepared was to leave a refrigerator full of delicious healthy foods that I not only knew my kids would eat, but also that my parents would like.

Astonishingly (even to me) is how much Pia likes Kale salad. I don’t mean that in an obnoxious “my child just loooooves kale, doesn’t yours?!” kind of way. I mean, I think it’s weird, and Coco won’t go near it. But Pia has just gotten less and less picky over the last year. I suspect that because of her really restrictive allergies she finally realized that despite her trepidation, she would have to start trying new things or eat a very limited menu. Then, happily, she was surprised that some of this weird stuff (like kale) was actually pretty good.

And so this salad has been on a regular rotation lately, especially with the gorgeous cherries in season. And this happens to be one of the dishes that I can put in Tupperware, lightly dressed and it will last for days as kale is so hearty. And thank goodness there is a way to use up the kale I grew in my garden in an overly ambitious way (pounds of kale a day anyone?)

Anyways- this beautiful and delicious salad is great for the Summer nights and would be beautiful to serve to a crowd on 4th of July or whenever you want to feed friends. And I have to point out the Almond Ricotta Cheese that is on this salad. I am not in any way being endorsed or paid for this- I am just excited! I found this Kite Hill Almond Ricotta at Whole Foods and have been buying it steadily since. It is totally believable and really good. Great in texture and super creamy but still dairy free!!! The perfect addition to this salad.