Citrus Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing

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I had fully intended on sharing this bright, hearty winter kale salad with you yesterday, and then winter got the best of us. Tuesday evening not long before bed, Aaron and I heard dripping coming from a corner of our living room, and upon closer inspection, we realized the ceiling over a window and below an awning was leaking. UGH.

Three hours later, we had scraped away whatever ice and snow we could from outside, only to realize the leak was no better for it and our roof and gutters were one giant ice dam, with six or more inches of thick ice and the most massive icicles I have ever seen. So yesterday, instead of blogging as I had hoped to do, we literally spent the entire day removing slabs of ice from the side of our building and awnings, while our contractor and his crew did the same and sealed the space between an awning and our window frames that was letting water into our living room. How the previous owners lived here for ten years without properly sealing the windows…I have no idea. It’s likely this was a problem in the past and the epic-ness of winter this year took it over the top. As I’m typing this now, it’s snowing AGAIN, with another foot expected in the next few days. Oh, and there goes the power (nooooo!).

…fast forward a few hours and the power is back!

This is one of those moments that make me feel like a grown-up for sure. Aaron and I had even talked the day before about needing to set a small monthly “home budget” and reign in our spending, only to need to blow that budget within hours, with larger expenses like re-insulating the attic on the horizon. The saving grace is that property values are still growing fast where we live, as is evidenced by the recent six offers on the garden-level unit below us, after just one open house during the slowest time of the year. It seems like despite some of the headaches, this condo is still a solid investment.

That said, we have an adventure planned for late Spring this year (I will share more details once we get out from under these unexpected home renovations!). Our hope is to rent out our place for at least a handful of months, if not longer. Ideally, we also don’t want to be in Boston for winter next year, which makes it all the more important that we get our place in tip top shape now so we can head off as many potential hiccups as possible down the road.

It being cold and snowy and all, I’ve been much less inclined to reach for salads these days, though I know now is definitely the time to load up on greens, fresh produce, and extra vitamin c-rich foods. In order to make salad more appealing, I’ve been opting to add in some roasted vegetables for warmth and extra heartiness. In this recipe I chose carrots, roasted alongside orange wedges, which then got squeezed into a simple and creamy tahini dressing. Baby kale is my current favorite green so that’s what I used here, but you could use lacinato or curly kale as well (just give it a quick massage in the dressing to tenderize it a bit).

Tossed with chickpeas for protein, juicy pink grapefruit, crunchy salted sunflower seeds, and tart, chewy dried cherries, this salad checks all of the boxes in the texture department. Even if it’s extra snowy and way too cold where you live, you’ll want to enjoy this meal, regardless of the weather.

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