Please forgive the lack of photos for this one, but I didn’t intend on posting it! I was making myself lunch one day while working from home and was in a hurry! It turned out SO GOOD that I knew it had to go on the blog. Plus, I promised a fellow Tweeter/Blogger/Runner/InstaGrammer that I would post it! This one’s for you RunEMZ! Sorry it has taken me so long RunEMZ, and sorry to my blog subscribers that it has been SO long since I’ve posted anything food related! It has been one long and crazy week in the Zucchini Runner household… but more on that another time!

Today Mr. Zucchini Runner and I are heading out to dinner for our anniversary and I am EXCITED! We are going to a fancy place that might require some dressing up, but I doubt it. This is AZ and it IS 1,034°F outside.

Speaking of weather that makes your face melt off, use this salad to stay cool this Summer! (I used my toaster oven for the almonds, but you could even skip toasting them if you want. They really aren’t the star of the salad anyway…:)

Salad Ingredients
6 cups chopped kale (I used curly kale)
2 medium celery stalks, finely chopped
2 tomatoes on the vine, deseeded and chopped
4 small carrots, peeled and cut
2 tbsp dried, tart cherries
2 tbsp raw pepitas
2 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tbsp sunflower seeds
1 batch toasted almonds (recipe below)

Dressing
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp grapeseed oil
1 tbsp maple syrup
Juice from one small lime
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Simply combine all the above ingredients into a large salad bowl and toss. For the dressing, combine in a small bowl or container with a lid and either stir or shake to incorporate. Pour over salad and toss well to cover every square inch of the kale. 🙂 You can make this up to 24 hours before you will eat it, since kale is so sturdy and won’t really break down with the dressing on it.

Toasted Almonds
1/2 cup raw almonds
1 tablespoon maple syrup
½ teaspoon grapeseed oil
1/4 tea cinnamon
Dash cayenne pepper
Few dashes salt

Preheat oven to 375°

Combine the almond ingredients in a small dish and stir until incorporated. Pour over raw almonds and toss to coast evenly. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place coated almonds in a single layer on the covered pan. Bake for 7-9 minutes, checking frequently. Nuts can burn very quickly, so it’s better to pull them sooner than you think! They will continue to cook slightly after they are removed. Sprinkle over salad and enjoy!

I invite other bloggers to share a link to their favorite Summer salad below in the comments. I’m all about sharing the love and spreading the word. Have a great week everyone!