Last month beloved San Diego caterer and cafe owner Mary Kay Waters retired after 33 years and closed up shop. Famous for her quiches, mulligatawny soup and pot pies, she will be sorely missed. She had planned to work into her 90’s but when the pandemic hit in March 2020 all her catering events cancelled. Running the cafe became a 7 day a week job and she’s choosing to bow out now. Her cookbook is sold out, so lucky me to have a friend with a copy who served our book club this delicious salad for lunch.
Mary prefers to use black or dinosaur kale with this, but any type will do. The sweetness of the berries and mango complement the slightly bitter greens, and the unusual dressing is delicious. My friend Fran added chicken to make this a complete meal; she recommends 1 pound (about 2 cups) of boneless chicken per 4 people.
Citrus Vinaigrette
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1 Tbs. orange marmalade
1/4 medium shallot, minced
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup pure olive oil
3 basil leaves
1/2 tsp. salt and pepper blend
Salad
1 bunch kale, stems removed, leaves chopped
1/2 mango, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch chunks
1 pint blackberries, rinsed
1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds
1/2 tsp. salt
Black pepper to taste
For the vinaigrette, combine the mustard, marmalade, shallot, and rice vinegar in and blender and blend on low speed. Turn the blender to medium speed and slowly drizzle the olive oil. Add the basil leaves and salt and pepper and blend briefly.
For the salad, combine the kale, mango, blackberries, and toasted almonds in a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and add freshly ground black pepper. Add about 1/2 cup of the citrus vinaigrette and toss to coat the ingredients. Serves 4.
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