Creamy Grilled Kale Toasts

Living hundreds of miles away from one of my best friends is hard. Especially since, if given the option, we would both prefer to have a Friends sitcom-style arrangement where we wander in and out of each others’ homes constantly and are always having fun together. We do what we can to keep our connection strong, including visiting as much as is realistically possible and texting all the rest of the time. One particular evening recently we were flipping through the same cookbook while chatting via text, and we agreed we simply had to make these kale toasts together.

A couple of weeks later I visited her during Memorial Day weekend and we made sure to include these in kale toasts in our cooking plans. They are irresistibly delicious and even better than I had imagined while reading the recipe. I’m sure cooking and drinking with my BFF (bestie? bae? I’m getting old) had something to do with it, but these made for a truly perfect cocktail hour snack along with our Aperol spritz!

These are pretty dang easy to make and by the way, did I mention how incredibly cool kale looks while it is on the grill? I can’t get over it. It’s important to note that the leftovers keep amazingly well and I highly recommend enjoying for breakfast the following day. I have tried the leftovers of the assembled toasts as well as with the topping and bread stored separately and I think both are delicious. The assembled version obviously lose the crisp texture of the bread, but it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Either way, you can’t go wrong. Enjoy!

Prep 10 minutes
Cook 5-8 minutes
Yield 4 servings

Ingredients

1 cup full-fat Greek yogurt
3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup (50 grams) grated aged goat cheese, such as Cypress Grove Midnight Moon
1 bunch lacinato kale
8 thick slices rustic Italian bread
1 clove garlic, halved lengthwise
Flaky salt, for finishing

Directions

01
If using a charcoal grill, prepare for two-zone cooking with a medium fire. If using a gas grill, heat to medium high. Using a grill brush, scrape the grill grates clean. Wipe the preheated grill grates with a lightly oiled paper towel.
02
In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice and zest, and red pepper flakes. Season with kosher salt and pepper. Fold in the shredded cheese.
03
Working in batches, grill the kale leaves perpendicular to the grates. Cook over direct heat until lightly charred, 1-2 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and cool slightly. Use a knife to trim the thick ribs from each leave and then finely chop the kale leaves. Fold into the yogurt mixture.
04
Grill the bread over direct heat until charred, about 1 minute per side. While the bread slices are still warm, rub 1 side of each toast with the cut side of the garlic. Top each toast with a generous spoonful of the creamy kale mixture and arrange on a platter. Sprinkle with flaky salt. Serve.

Source

Any Night Grilling from Food52