An ode to a life warmly lived, The Bread Exchange tells the story of one woman’s hunger for greater meaning in her life and how it has been enriched by the sharing of her handmade bread. From her cosy kitchen in Berlin to a flat in London, from a deck in New York City to huddling around a tandoor in Kabul, the author shares discoveries, stories and recipes from her inspiring travels. A busy fashion-industry professional with a bread-baking obsession, Malin Elmlid started offering her loaves to others in return for recipes, handmade goods and, above all, special experiences that come from giving generously of yourself. Here is a book of tales and reflections, of wanderlust connections and more than 50 recipes for Malin’s naturally leavened breads and other delicious things collected on a journey honouring the staff and the stuff of life.
SPINSTER SISTERS’ KALE SALAD
Contributed by Liza Hinman, SERVES 4
After three days in the United States. I saw a common thread connecting every menu in every restaurant I visited. It was called kale. I had never heard of it at home.
I ate my way through the spectrum: kale salad (sometimes raw and sometimes “massaged” with salt to tenderise it), kale smoothies, kale chips, kale granola, kale soup, and kale brownies. And, of course, I baked my first kale bread. In Santa Rosa, I asked talented Liza Hinman from Spinster Sisters restaurant to teach me how to make her warm kale salad, which I served with my Beer and Dried Apricot bread.
2 slices white sourdough bread
6 Tbsp/90 ml olive oil
Sea salt
5 slices Delicata or butternut squash
1 shallot, finely diced
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
6 Tbsp/90 ml extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground pepper
5 oz/150 g Tuscan kale, torn into bite-size pieces
5 oz/150 g baby kale, torn into bite-size pieces
1 slice bacon, cooked and crumbled
½ Sierra Beauty or other crisp, tart apple, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp Roquefort cheese
Preheat the oven to 500°F/260°C. Make croutons by tearing the bread into pieces. (I like my croutons to be fairly large and so I break them into 1-by-1-in/2.5-by-2.5-cm pieces.) Place the bread in a bowl, sprinkle with 2 Tbsp of the olive oil, and toss with salt. Spread the pieces out over a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 3 to 4 minutes.
Toss the squash slices in 2 Tbsp olive oil to coat, sprinkle with salt, and place on a second baking sheet. Roast in the oven until the squash is tender when pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes.
In a medium bowl, make a dressing by combining the shallot and vinegar and let steep for about 10 minutes. Whisk in the mustard and then gradually add the extra-virgin olive oil while whisking. Season with salt and pepper.
In a large nonstick sauté pan or skillet, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Turn the heat to low and add half of each kind of kale. Cook, tossing the kale until it is slightly warm but not wilted. Transfer the kale to a large bowl. Repeat with the remaining kale and 1 Tbsp olive oil.
Add the croutons, squash, crumbled bacon, apple, and Roquefort to the kale. Toss to mix. Add the dressing, toss to coat, and serve.
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Image © Malin Elmlid
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