My friend Carolyn has been telling me about how good kale chips are. I kind of found it hard to believe. Kale? Really?
Kale, if you don’t know, is one of those virtuous leafy greens that often confuse you in the supermarket: Is it chard? Is it kale? Is it collards? What do I do with it? And is it going to smell up my kitchen if I try it?
Really, kale is simplicity itself to use. It’s the bumpy looking one with curly edges and a stem that is not very thick (chard’s stems are more noticeable and quite often red or yellow – as in rainbow chard). Rinse well, cut out the stem and cook it much the way you would spinach, just cook it a bit longer, as it is denser and tougher. I don’t use it raw. It is a cool weather crop, meaning that if you have a patch of dirt, you can grow it even in winter, which is a big plus if you are big into seasonal eating.
Now Carolyn loves good food, so I knew she couldn’t be making it up, however odd kale chips sounded to me. And the more I thought about it, the more I considered the Asian seaweed strips I like so much. Wouldn’t it be similar?
So I got myself a bunch of kale – about 8 oz, give or take — from Sang Lee out in the North Fork and gave it a try.
Had to wrestle this from the table in order to get a shot of the shrapnel!
The results were a revelation! The kale chips were crunchy and had a slight, but pleasant bitterness, tempered by the salt. My parents and John the Painter who happened to be doing some painting with my dad downstairs gave it a try – Leandro was not having it – and we made short work of the whole tray. In fact, my pictures are pretty thin on the actual kale because in my eagerness to try them, I forgot to take any photos until we had almost cleaned them out!
I will be planting kale in the late summer and I will be making this all winter long for my late-night movie snack! Thank you Carolyn!
What was left when I remembered to take a picture!
Kale Chips
1 bunch kale (about 8 oz. – can be increased)
1 Tbs oil (I prefer extra virgin olive oil, but you can play around with flavors)
2 pinches salt
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay kale pieces on parchment paper, leaving space between all of them – no touching! Drizzle with oil, and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until leaves are crisp. Serve.
Hot, Cheap & Easy 
I can’t get enough of kale chips – I just wish I could figure out how to keep them for a day or so without them going soggy…. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks for the visit…so far we’ve never had enough to eat straight out of the oven…I think a double batch would just end up with us eating it all at once!
Veautiful – I love chinese crispy “seaweed” so would adore this too!
I think you would!!! Thanks for the visit!
Hola Natalia!
Suena muy bien esta receta. Voy a ver si encuentro col rizada en el supermercado 🙂
Love me some kale chips! I usually toss them in the olive oil, and when I’m feeling creative will use different spices like garlic powder or cajun spices. A little paprika also is good.
Thanks for the visit John…that Cajun spice idea perked up these ears right away!
Love these! Sounds goofy but I hadn’t really thought about doing them in the oven. I used the dehydrator.
Oooh, high tech! Do you use the dehydrator for other things? Sounds really cool. Thanks for the visit!
Yes, especially leeks and okra and making crackers.
So cool! If there were any space left in my tiny home…
I make them all the time. Sometimes I will drizzle a touch of vinegar and sea salt on them. So tasty!
What a good idea!!!! Thanks for the tip!
You’re welcome. 🙂
I have been wanting to try these–now maybe I will give a try..
I hope you will! We loved them over here!
I think that sounds like a good one to try. I’m glad you just managed to get a snap 😉
Yes! Always frustrating when I make something good and forget to pull out the camera….