5.11.10 Going Green

Kale1 790 xxx
photo by george billard
Someone recently accused me of eating a lot of kale. They said it as though it were an accusation, like I needed to justify myself. I hereby declare myself a lover of kale. I freely admit that. (Proof positive is this post. And this one. And this one.  And this one.) The stuff is good. Tastes delicious, is very versatile and packs a wallop of nutrition. Do you read Goop? Gwyneth Paltrow's blog sort of irritates me. I can't really pinpoint why but I think it just might have something to do with her total and unmitigated sense of entitlement. Just because you can spend two hours a day working out with Tracy Anderson in your custom-built blonde wood yoga studio in back of your lovely house in East Hampton, Gwynnie, doesn't mean we can. Grrrr. Yet we can make her I-need-to-lose-5-pounds-quick-for-this-movie-premiere kale juice cocktail (with lemon juice and agave nectar). Or even better, we can use kale to whip up deliciously salty-crunchy chips that we can munch on to our heart's content without even missing those salt-&-vinegar kettle chips one iota. Perfect for getting into fighting shape. Beach weather is coming, hard as it may seem to believe when we're currently at 28 degrees upstate!! (All those new little green leaves? Drooping in the cold, poor darlings!) So you gotta eat your kale, bay-bee!
Chips 790 xxx
Kale is high in beta carotene and vitamin A, and also contains lutein and zeaxathin, other important carotenoids. These help keep UV rays from damaging the eyes and causing cataracts. Kale is also an excellent source of well-absorbed calcium, which is one of the many factors that may help prevent osteoporosis. It also provides decent amounts of vitamin C, folic acid, vitamin B6, potassium and manganese. This last helps  your body's own antioxidant defense system, protecting you from damaging free radicals. With its combination of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, kale is just an all-around great vegetable.Flash sauteed in olive oil with a little garlic and red pepper; stirred into soups and stews; whizzed into juice—don't tell me you can't figure out how to eat some of the green goddess! Short on time and craving a healthy snack? Toss some kale with olive oil, sprinkle it with salt and/or herbs and bang it in a low oven for half an hour. On the other side, you've got crispy, finger-licking good chips that are actually good for you. Give them a try! One note: I've found that these don't really keep well, so I recommend you eat them all the same day you make them.
 

Kale Chips

serves 4
  • — 1 bunch kale, any kind will do
  • — 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • — 2 tablespoons cider or balsamic vinegar, or substitute lemon juice
  • sea salt & pepper, to taste and/or spice mix

Preheat oven to 250º.

Remove ribs from kale and discard. Tear leaves into 2" pieces.*

Whisk oil and vinegar together. Toss kale in the dressing until thoroughly coated.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place kale in a single layer and sprinkle with salt and whatever spices you like. (Pimentón adds a little heat, vadouvan works nicely, toasted and ground fennel seeds are delicious, etc.)

Bake until crispy, about 30 minutes, watching towards the end so they don’t get too done.

*Or, as Dan Barber of Blue Hill recommends, you can slice the leaves of lacinato/dinosaur kale in half lengthwise, remove the rib and make long chips instead of the smaller bite-sized ones.

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10 Comments

Okay, okay! I'll eat my kale, Bossy-Boots!
Eliza on May 11, 2010 at 7:20 am —
That's a good girl.
laura on May 11, 2010 at 2:45 pm —
Thanks, Laura. I went to the blog 101 Cookbooks that I found in your Kindred Spirits list and I made a great red bean and farro stew that includes kale. Then I sauteed kale with olive oil and garlic and it was incredible. I am also totally into kale!!!
Elaine on May 12, 2010 at 4:36 am —
101 Cookbooks has a lot of great vegetarian recipes. She, like you and I, is a fan of kale!
laura on May 12, 2010 at 5:19 am —
I love this entry,! Hurray for Kale, luv it too!!! I will give the kale chips a whirl
cc on May 18, 2010 at 10:23 am —
made them last night. DELICIOUS.
Lisa on May 19, 2010 at 8:42 am —
and made them again tonight, this time with orange zest...also great.
lisa on May 23, 2010 at 5:52 pm —
And I made them with lemon juice (instead of vinegar) and cumin, as a prelude to a Mexican dinner, and they were perfect!
laura on May 24, 2010 at 3:24 am —
Our mutual friend, Ann E., made them for us here in LA last week & they were so delicious! Perfect for my South Beach dieting too.
TStone on May 24, 2010 at 10:53 am —
Yes, a tasty snack option that's a great replacement for potato chips. (Although they don't really stand up to dip very well!)
laura on May 25, 2010 at 4:29 am —