Tuscan Kale Salad with Crispy Potatoes, Pancetta, & Creamy Roasted Lemon Dressing

~Makes 4 salads~

Ingredients:

Pickled onions:

1/2 c apple cider (or red wine) vinegar

1/2 t sugar

1/2 t salt

half of a red onion, thinly sliced

Potatoes:

4 oz pancetta, diced small

1 lb fingerling or baby potatoes, quartered

1 t paprika

1 t garlic powder

1/4 t cayenne (optional)

Dressing:

1 roasted lemon (quarter and remove the seeds, drizzle with olive oil and broil 20 minutes or until dark)

1 c olive oil

1/4 c tahini

1 T honey

1 T whole grain mustard

1 garlic clove

1/4 c lemon juice

2 bunches of kale, washed and thinly sliced

kosher salt

Shaved parmesan

Method:

Whisk the sugar and salt in the vinegar until dissolved. Add the sliced onions and let soak for at least 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place the diced pancetta in a medium pan (ideally cast-iron) and turn on medium heat. Cook, tossing around occasionally, until crispy, about 5-8 minutes. Remove the pancetta with a slotted spoon and hold on a paper-towel lined plate. Leave about 2 T of fat in the pan, discarding the rest. Add the potatoes, paprika, garlic powder, cayenne, and a dash of salt and pepper and toss around. Roast for 20 minutes, then stir around the potatoes and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil. Return to the oven and roast for an additional 10 minutes, or until crispy.

Chop up the roasted lemon and blend on high with the olive oil. Strain and discard the lemon bits and blend together the remaining ingredients with the lemon oil. Season to taste. Place the kale in a large bowl and sprinkle 1/2 t salt over it. Lightly massage the salt into the kale. To build your salad, toss the kale with the dressing, then top with pickled onion, shaved parmesan, roasted potatoes, and pancetta. Yum!