Thanksgiving Kale with Fennel, Cranberries and Walnuts

I love this kale dish, mellow with nuts and sherry, sparked with cranberries. I’ve had it on my Thanksgiving table for the past few years. It’s easy and rewarding. I cook the kale, but in desperate times without electricity, you can make it raw. Yes, you can. Moisten your hands with a little bit of olive oil and massage the torn kale leaves gently between your hands for just a moment or two. They will soften and wilt as though cooked. Slice fennel thinly, rather than chopping it and proceed with the sherry, pepper flakes cranberries and walnuts. You won’t be able to toast them, but the world will continue to turn and you’ll still have something awesome and elemental on your Thanksgiving table.

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Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 fennel bulb
2 pounds kale roughly 8 cups, packed
1/4 cup sherry
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup walnuts
sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat.
Remove stalks and fronds from fennel. Chop fennel bulb into bite-sized cubes, roughly 1-1/2 inches. Add chopped fennel to pot and saute 10 minutes or until tender. Add kale by the handful, stirring gently until wilted, but still bright green, about 8 minutes. Stir in sherry, pepper flakes and cranberries.
Recipe may be made up to a day ahead at this point. Cover well and refrigerate. Return to room temperature before proceeding.
Preheat oven to 350.
Spread walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast for 10 minutes or until golden brown and fragrant. Remove from oven and chop walnuts coarsely.
To serve:
Gently reheat kale on stovetop over medium heat until heated through, about 8 minutes. Stir in walnuts. Add salt and pepper to taste.

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Thanksgiving Kale with Fennel, Cranberries and Walnuts