Red Russian kale chips

OK, here’s a picture of this week’s batch of kale chips, made with the Red Russian Kale we got in our CSA box.

[Click on the image to see it fullsize]

Probably the first thing you’re noticing about Red Russian kale is that it’s not red.  [Well, the stems are, but for kale chips you cut away the stems and only use the leaves.]   Also, the olive oil really makes the chips look shiny, as if they’re greasy, but they’re actually not greasy at all.  Well maybe just a little bit, but that’s a good thing in my book.

And something else you can’t really tell by looking at the picture:  these things are crisp.  Poke some tongs [gently] into a bowl of kale chips and hear them rustle like dry leaves [Because that's what they are:  dry leaves. Come on, Tild.  What is this,  a dispatch from the Duh Institute?]

Greasy – salty – crispy … it’s like the holy trinity of snack food attributes.   Within minutes of taking them out of the oven last night the hub had already eaten half a dozen.

Me, I only had 3 (moderation in all things, but of natch).

<rolling eyes> Uh huh.  Sure. </rolling eyes>

a-yum!

Again, here’s the recipe I use:

Kale Chips

One bunch of curly  green kale

[Tild sez:  actually I hear that these turn out equally well when made with other kinds of kale, or chard, or even with brussels sprouts!]

Olive oil
Sea salt

Wash kale and cut the leaves off of the big stems (I slide a sharp knife along the stem). If the pieces seem too big, tear them into chip size — the bigger the pieces, the longer it takes to crisp up, but don’t make them too small. I usually leave the kale in my sink colander (my favorite kitchen tool, ever!) to drain. Put the drained kale in a bowl and dowse with some olive oil. I’ve never measured, I just make it like I would a salad. Sprinkle with a healthy pinch of salt. Toss. Spread onto cookie sheet (mine has sides). Bake in 350 degree oven until crisp. [Tild sez:  I set the timer for 15 minutes, which seemed about right]  I check several times, stirring them around to even out the cooking. If some kale seems to be taking a lot longer to cook, I remove the already crisp ones and start eating. Enjoy.

Recipe from  Michelle  at  Green Kitchen

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