Blueberry and Kale Salad

Serves 6

Ingredients
4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
½ small onion, grated
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 Granny Smith apple, grated
1 cup (250ml) buttermilk
6 tablespoons mayonnaise
6 tablespoons sour cream
3 tablespoons micro chervil
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 bunch kale, around 8 stalks
1 cup (155g) blueberries

Method
Stir together apple cider vinegar, grated onion, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, garlic clove and granny smith apple in a jar with a tight-fitting lid.
Stand for 5 minutes.
Add buttermilk, mayonnaise, sour cream and micro chervil. Cover jar with lid and shake until mixture is smooth.
Add salt, pepper, and sugar to taste.
Tear the leaves from the kale stalks, and into pieces. Place into a medium sized bowl and massage with your hands until the leaves soften and turn a brighter green.

Toss together kale, blueberries and 1/2 cup dressing in a large bowl. Add a little more dressing to your taste and serve.

Fresh Blueberries Lower Risk of Heart Disease by 15%

As July rolls around, so too does the start of the Australian fresh blueberry season. Since last year, breaking research from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has found a significant correlation between lowering heart disease and fresh blueberries. The double-blind, placebo-controlled study concluded that eating 150g of fresh blueberries daily decreases the risk of heart disease (Australia's number one killer) by up to 15%. 

The research analysed the benefits of blueberries on Metabolic Syndrome - a condition affecting one-third of westernised adults. Around 30% of Australians suffer from this, and are consequently two to four times more likely to develop heart disease. 

Dr Peter Curtis, study co-author, said: 'We found eating one cup of (fresh) blueberries per day resulted in sustained improvements in vascular function and arterial stiffness.' Both of these directly affect a person's likelihood of developing heart disease. 

This study is not unique in its appraisal of fresh blueberries - adding to multiple previous studies showing both brain and heart benefits from the fruit. The benefits all stem from 'anthocyanins,' which are what gives blueberries their stunning colour. 

'The simple and attainable message is to consume one cup of blueberries daily to improve cardiovascular health,' concluded Dr Curtis.