Kale and Italian Sausage Soup

Kale is in season now until early June in our area.  Try this popular farmstead soup featuring our kale and Italian sausage!
Ingredients·         1 tablespoon olive oil
·         1 onion, diced
·         2 garlic cloves, minced
·         1/4 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
·         5 waxy potatoes (1 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
·         Approx 6 cups chicken broth
·         1 bunch kale (12 ounces), stemmed and shredded
·         1 lb ground Italian Sausage
Directions
1.     In a large pot (6 to 8 quarts), heat oil over medium. Add onion and sausage- cook sausage halfway through, about 8 minutes (sausage will still be pink). Add garlic and red-pepper flakes; cook until fragrant, 1 minute.  Remove sausage and onion mixture and set aside on plate.
2.     Add potatoes and broth to pot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; gently boil until potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
3.     In a blender, puree half the broth and potatoes. Return to all ingredients to pot; add kale and sausage. Simmer until kale is wilted and sausage is cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes.

Honey Cilantro Vinaigrette       
Adapted From Passionate Vegetarian
Makes about 1 ¾ cup

The fresh smell of cilantro brings a great spring taste to this tasty vinaigrette. Try over  any salad greens.

4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch cilantro
½ cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup honey
1 jalapeno pepper or 1 pinch cayenne pepper or Tabasco sauce (optional)
1 ½ teaspoon salt
Black pepper to taste, freshly ground
1 cup olive oil

Combine all of the ingredients except the olive oil in a food processor.  Process until smooth, scraping the sides when needed.  With the machine running, slowly pour olive oil into dressing.  Taste for salt and pepper.  Best if aged for at least one hour or overnight.