Kale Salad with Pecorino & Walnuts

adapted from Barbuto’s Kale Salad

1/2 cup walnut halves or pieces
1/4 cup golden raisins
1 Tbls. white wine vinegar
1 Tbls. water
1/4 cup panko or coarse homemade breadcrumbs
1 tiny clove garlic, minced
kosher salt
3 Tbls. olive oil
1 bunch Tuscan Kale,
1/2 cup (2 oz.) Pecorino cheese, grated
juice of half a lemon
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

To prepare walnuts, heat oven to 350 degrees F. Toast walnuts on a baking sheet for 10 minutes, tossing once. Let cool and coarsely chop. In a small saucepan over low heat, simmer white wine vinegar, water and raisins for 5 minutes, until plump and soft. Set aside in liquid. Toast bread crumbs, garlic and 2 tsp. of the olive oil in a skillet together with a pinch of salt until golden. Set aside. Wash kale, strip leaves from coarse stems. Pat leaves dry. Stack sections of leaves and roll them into a tube, then cut them into very thin ribbons crosswise. Put kale in a large bowl. Add Pecorino, walnuts and raisins (leaving any leftover vinegar mixture in dish), remaining 2 Tbls. olive oil and lemon juice and toss until all the kale ribbons are coated. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt, pepper and some of the reserved vinegar mixture from the raisins, if needed. Let stand for at least 10 minutes. Just before serving, toss with breadcrumbs.