Kale Chips

The kale was growing really well, but in the past few weeks its taken on a load of diseases and pests: unknown fungus (causing the leaves to yellow), leaf miners (causing white spots and tunnels), aphids, and now the new leaves are growing in stunted and deformed. Poor suffering plants. So I chopped it all down and will plant something in its place. Arugula, peas and gai lan (Chinese broccoli) are the top contenders, due to their quick growing and cold tolerant nature.

Now I have a serious amount of kale to consume. I can’t give them away; some of the leaves are diseased and deformed. Enter kale chips.

A friend at work turned me onto this recipe. I made a batch from 2 big handfuls of kale, and the resulting chips just disappeared into my mouth. You can also make the chips in a dehydrator, if you like raw food. You can substitute for other green leaves, like chard or spinach. I love recipes that are versatile like that.

Kale Chips
Season: Late spring, summer, autumn

Ingredients:

1 bunch of kale
Vegetable oil --- e.g. olive, or locally sourced oil
A sprinkle of salt
Seasonings (optional) --- e.g. cayenne, curry powder

Directions:

Wash, dry and cut off the thick stems from the kale. If desired, tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces.

Brush leaves with oil. If you don’t have a brush, oiled fingers also does the trick. Lay on a flat cookie sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle salt and seasonings if desired. Bake for 10 – 15 minutes, until leaves are crisp and slightly browned. Cool.