Potato Arugula Salad with Tomato Confit

& a little bit about me!

Hi! Welcome to “good mood food” from Kale Me Maybe’s Carina Wolff. If you’ve made it here and aren’t yet a subscriber, come join! You can expect recipes, musings, and faves in your inbox every Wednesday! Paid subscribers get even more! Learn more about my paid membership here. You can also try a week for free!

CATCH UP!

Hello!! I have quite a few new subscribers again this week (yay!), so I thought I would do a little reintroduction to those who are new here.

I’m Carina! You might also know me as Kale Me Maybe, the name on my Instagram and blog, both of which I started over a decade ago!

I am a recipe developer, content creator, and writer currently living in beautiful, sunny Los Angeles, where I was born and raised! I studied journalism and psychology at NYU, and during my time there, I discovered my passion for cooking and writing about food, health, and wellness. I actually started my blog when I was a senior, solely to have clips to send to potential job applications! I never expected for it to take off on its own and become my career, but I am amazed and grateful it did.

I got married last year to my husband Grant, who is a musician as well as a graphic and web designer. We have the best dog in the world Willow, who often gets called “bunny” because of her huge, adorable ears.

Most of you likely found me through my recipe videos (or photos!), and this newsletter will provide plenty of recipes! However, I also use this space to talk about whatever’s on my mind. Sometimes, it’s just an update on life. Other times, it’ll be my thoughts on culture or what’s going on in the internet world — or in the real world!

My favorite thing to do is to psychoanalyze everything, so I’m constantly in a state of critical thinking — although I will definitely admit that some weeks, I like to keep it very light and surface level! Balance, baby.

I appreciate everyone here, new and old! I love this space that I’ve created, and I’m so grateful to everyone who reads these newsletters.

Feel free to leave a comment or respond to this email if you ever have any questions or want to join in on the conversation!

THINGS I’M LOVING!

This is not a new item of mine, but this week, I thought I lost my leather Birkenstocks, and I was devastated. They are my most worn shoe because as you know, I am a woman of comfort. Whenever I wear these shoes, I always get compliments — people seemed to be surprised you can get Birks with straps! But I can truly walk for miles in these, so I was quite pleased when I found them behind another pair of shoes on my shoe rack.

Cobi’s in Santa Monica has been on my list for months, and we finally made it there this past weekend! We sat in the garden patio, and it was so charming. Plus, it’s dog-friendly, which is always nice for us and our separation anxiety dog. The food was incredible — they serve Southeast Asian cuisine — and I particularly loved the hamachi in coconut milk. Definitely worth the hype, very good vibes!!

I preach the good word of Trader Joe’s cheeses to anyone who listens, and this week for Father’s Day, I made a little cheeseboard for my family, and of course, shopped at Trader Joe’s. I included their English Cheddar with Caramelized Onion, and everyone loved it! I think this would be soo good for a mac and cheese dish or a grilled cheese!

RECIPE!

This recipe is a cross between a regular salad and a potato salad — you can think of it as a potato salad heavy on the greens or as a green salad heavy on the potatoes.

I love the tomato confit addition because the oil from the confit is used as a dressing. All you have to do is add a splash of red wine vinegar, and the salad is dressed for you! I love the way the arugula gets just a little wilted, and of course, I had to throw in some feta or some saltiness and chickpeas for protein.

Potato Arugula Salad with Tomato Confit

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes

• 1 tsp oregano

• Olive oil

• 1 lb yellow baby potatoes

• Salt & pepper

• 4 cups arugula

• 1 (14 oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

• 1/4 thinly sliced red onion

• 4-5 oz feta, crumbled

• 6-7 basil leaves, thinly sliced

• 2 tbsp roughly chopped parsley

• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Add tomatoes to a small baking dish. Drizzle with a generous amount of olive oil (enough to coat all the tomatoes), and then toss in oregano and a pinch of salt.

2. Cut the baby potatoes in either halves or quarters so they’re all approximately the same size. Add to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and toss in a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add everything to the oven, and bake for 25-35 minutes until potatoes are soft but crisp around the edges and tomatoes have begun to burst. Let cool before adding both to the salad.

3. In a large bowl, add the arugula, cooled potatoes and tomatoes, chickpeas, red onion, feta, basil, and parsley. Add the red wine vinegar and another pinch of salt and pepper, and toss. Serve immediately!

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT!

I’ve been all about the wraps this month! Last week, paid subscribers received this exclusive recipe for a Turkey Pimento Chopped Salad Wrap! Join in to get access to get this recipe and all others from the archives!