Crispy Kale

Yesterday I bought some beautiful kale at Superganic Farms, and I was excited to try a recipe for Crispy Kale with it. The recipe makes the kale into light, crispy "chips", which are great to eat as a snack, a garnish, or crumbled over other foods. I think it tastes ok - a nice change from leafy greens raw in a salad. My husband is on his second bowl, in effect eating an entire head of kale in one sitting. The kids, however, whom I had hoped would really go for it, didn't. They both like salad greens, but the crispy kale got less than stellar reactions. My 6 year old munched a few pieces and that was it. The 3 year old burst into tears at the sight of it and declared it "dee-gusting!". To be fair, that's her thing lately. She's also called every other vegetable, animal and mineral "dee-gusting" at least once in the past few weeks, so I really can't trust her judgment of the kale.

Ultimately, the recipe didn't get any more leafy greens into my kids, but my husband and I both like it, and you might well too. It's super-simple, and a great way to enjoy a crunchy, salty snack while still eating healthfully. Like so many other simple, delicious recipes, this one is from Jacques Pepin.

1 lb kale, washed and dried thoroughly
2 Tbsp good olive oil
salt to taste

Preheat oven to 250F. Remove kale stems, and cut leaves into 2-inch pieces. Toss with olive oil and salt. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. (For a pound of kale, I use 2 baking sheets.) Bake kale for 20-25 minutes without stirring. Leaves should remain green - if they start to brown, they'll become bitter, so check them frequently after about 18 minutes.

The most interesting thing about this snack is that it doesn't taste like it looks! It looks like a dressed, raw leaf, as in a salad, but it tastes more like, well, a chip, or a bread stick maybe? I bet it would be good with a dusting of Parmesan cheese, too, now that I think about it. Give it a try yourself! I hope you like it like my husband and I, if not our kids, do.