Christmas Wreath Salad

Ingredients

Salad:
2 bunches curly kale, stemmed and cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup pine nuts, toasted
2 Veri Fine Brand Red Peppers - 1 pepper piece reserved for the bow, the remaining peppers sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 fennel bulb, sliced 1/8 inch thick

Dressing:
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced

Method

For the salad: In a large bowl, massage the kale with the lemon juice for about 2 minutes until the color has darkened and the leaves feel soft. Add the cranberries, pine nuts, sliced red pepper and fennel and toss to combine.

For the dressing: In a small bowl, add the oil, Parmesan, lemon juice, salt, pepper and garlic and whisk for 1 minute. Dress the salad with about a quarter of the dressing and toss to coat. Pour the remaining dressing into a small round jar or cup.

Place the jar of dressing in the center of a large round platter. Arrange the salad mixture around the jar to form a wreath shape. To create a bow for the wreath, cut two 1/4-inch strips from the reserved red pepper for the ribbons and set aside. Lay the remaining bell pepper piece in front of you horizontally. Cut out 2 rectangles, each with a curved piece of pepper on one side, and a square from the middle.
Arrange the rectangles with the curved parts on the outside and the square in the middle. Tuck the reserved strips underneath to make ribbons hanging down. Add a small ladle or spoon to serve the dressing.