This salad will make you fall in love with kale

Kale salad is a delicious bowl of contrasts — crunchy, cool and light yet satisfying, with flavors that play off the mildly bitter, peppery leaves.

Unlike most salad greens, kale doesn't wilt when dressed in advance. The original inspiration for kale salads was the classic Caesar, but these days, find kale tossed with a range of dressings: blue cheese, Asian sesame, sweet poppy seed or creamy chile-lime.

But I'll take a basic mustardy vinaigrette that stands up to this vibrant green any day. Topped with a layer of roasted fall veggies — carrots, beets or winter squash — and served with a hunk of good cheese and crusty bread, kale salad becomes a lovely dinner and is the perfect salad to make ahead and tote to a harvest dinner potluck.

All varieties of kale are packed with goodness and they taste pretty much the same. Curly kale, the most common, can be a bit tough; Tuscan kale, also called Lacinato or dinosaur kale, is favored for its deep green color and thinner leaves. With its rose-hued leaves and ruddy stems, red or scarlet kale, also called Russian kale, is a prettier version of its curly green cousin. And baby kale, as its name suggests, is just a younger version of those kale varieties and is often sold in plastic tubs. In the field, kale sweetens slightly as the season advances and temperatures drop. It's especially good right before the frost.

The stems and ribs of kale leaves can be woody, so most recipes suggest removing them before chopping. Then, to make sure they're softened, it helps to massage in a little of the dressing with your fingers before tossing the whole thing together. Kale salad is immensely versatile, so dress it with whatever you like and have on hand. It's just right for crisp autumn evenings.

Serves 4 to 6.

A salad to celebrate fall: Tuscan kale is tossed with a snappy mustard vinaigrette and topped with carrots roasted to be tender and sweet. Add a handful of dried cranberries for pops of color and tang and toasted nuts for extra crunch. From Beth Dooley.

For the roasted carrots:

• 1 lb. carrots, scrubbed, quartered

• 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

• Generous pinch of coarse salt

For the kale salad:

• 6 to 8 oz. kale, rinsed

• 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1 tsp. coarse mustard

• 1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 1/4 c. dried cranberries

• 2 tbsp. toasted, chopped nuts

Directions

To prepare the carrots: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the carrots into quarters or sixths lengthwise, then again to be about 3 inches long. Arrange the carrots on the baking sheet and drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast the carrots until they are nicely browned on all sides, shaking the pan occasionally, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and set aside.

To prepare the salad: Remove the stems and ribs from the kale. Roll the kale into a log resembling a cigar and cut the kale into thin strips; transfer to a large bowl.

In a jar with a lid, combine lemon juice, garlic, mustard, oil salt and pepper and shake. Drizzle a little of the dressing over the kale, massage the leaves with your fingertips, then toss the kale with enough dressing to lightly coat the leaves. Arrange the kale on a serving platter and then top with the roasted carrots. Scatter the dried cranberries and toasted nuts over the salad and drizzle with any leftover dressing, to taste.

Beth Dooley is the author of "The Perennial Kitchen." Find her at bethdooleyskitchen.com.