Kale BLT Salad

This is already a crazy month and it is going to get even busier!  At the end of the month the conference team and I are headed to New Orleans for the Plastics Recycling Conference that we put on.  It is our biggest conference of the year with about 1,800 attendees and while it is a lot of fun it is also a lot of work.  I have somehow never been to New Orleans so I can't begin to tell you how excited I am to get to experience it.  We do work 15 hour days for about 7 days straight so hopefully I won't be too exhausted to get out with my coworkers and explore the city on days that we can.  In the mean time we are all preparing and making sure everything is in place for this huge event and to say everyone is under a little pressure is an understatement.  I am fortunately an assistant at the conference which means I do anything and everything that needs to get done but don't have one specific roll.  The one thing I do find challenging is making sure I can prepare well enough to leave my other work behind for a week, but hey if I can do it for 14 days for Europe this shouldn't be too hard ;)  I was really hoping to have my fiance come down and meet me and we could spend a long weekend there together but then reality set in and we realized it wasn't a very responsible move on our part since we are trying to buy a house.  I know we will hold conferences in the future in New Orleans so there should be plenty of chances to get him down there.  Onto the food, I adapted this fabulous recipe and can't wait to make it again it was so delectable!  The original recipe didn't have enough dressing to my liking so I added more mayonnaise and vinegar, add to your taste preference.

Serves 4

The Ingredients
1/2 preserved lemon, chopped (a little more if you love citrus)
1/3 cup crème fraîche
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
12 ounces slab bacon, sliced ¾ inch thick
8 cups chopped Tuscan kale
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved


The Process
1.  Process preserved lemon, crème fraîche, mayonnaise, and vinegar in a food processor until smooth; season dressing with salt and pepper. Cover and chill until ready to use.


2.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high and cook bacon, turning halfway through, until brown and crisp, 8–10 minutes per side. Transfer to paper towels and let cool slightly. Slice crosswise to yield 12 pieces.


3.  Toss kale and dressing in a large bowl until coated; let sit 5 minutes. 


4.  Add tomatoes and gently toss to coat. Divide salad among plates and top each with 3 pieces of bacon.