JC's Intestinal Broom Salad

Equipment: knife, cutting board, a big salad bowl, small pot, strainer, blender (Magic Bullet or similar).

Boil the nuts or seeds: Put ¼ cup in a small pot with about 2 inches of water and boil on medium-high to high for about 5 minutes, until very soft. Boiling is what makes the dressing smooth instead of grainy.

Load the blender cup while they boil: Add the ½ cup of dill torn or broken up, the ginger, the garlic lightly chopped, the lemon, lime and orange juice, and the maple syrup.

Strain, rinse, add: Strain the nuts or seeds, rinse briefly with cool water, drain, then add them to the blender cup.

Add water conservatively: Pour clean water up to about where the nuts or seeds sit in the cup. That is your safe starting point.

Blend until ultra-smooth: Blend, pause, shake or tap, then blend again until it is completely creamy. Too sharp, add a touch more maple syrup. Too thick, add tiny splashes of water. Want it more herb-forward, add more dill.

Mince the spinach: Wash it thoroughly, gather it into a tight bundle, and slice it into thin strips. Rotate 90 degrees and mince further if you want it finer. Put it in the salad bowl.

Mince the kale: Remove the thick stems, gather the leaves into a ball, slice finely, then mince. Add it to the bowl.

Mince the carrot: Wash it and peel it if you prefer. Cut it in half across the middle, then slice each half lengthwise so you have 4 pieces. Cut each piece into thin strips and mince until you reach 1 cup. Add it to the bowl.

Mince the celery: Trim the dirty ends and remove the leafy tops if you want. Slice the stalks lengthwise into thin strips, gather them, and mince finely until you reach 1 cup. Add it to the bowl.

Mince the tomato: Slice it lengthwise into thin strips, rotate, and mince into small pieces. Measure ¼ to ⅓ cup and add it. If you like, add some olives or shredded raw beet too.

Dress it: Pour the creamy dressing over the salad. Start with about half and add more to taste.

Massage the kale: With clean hands, firmly squeeze and massage the salad for 30 seconds to a minute. The leaves darken slightly, soften, and turn tender. This is the step that makes raw kale pleasant to eat. Always do it after the dressing goes on, never before.

Serve: Eat it right away, or let it sit briefly to soften further.