Crispy Kale
Another pre-written post for you, whilst I enjoy New York City! Back soon!
It is fall, which means that the Unicyclist and I are looking forward to several months of greens from our CSA, Crooked Sky Farms. Think arugula, mizuna, chard, mustard greens, dandelion greens, spinach, beet and turnip greens, and kale. Fortunately, dark leafy greens have an amazing reputation. Packed with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and iron, they are nutritional powerhouses. Although they can be a little strong in flavor for some people, I firmly believe everyone can find a way of preparing at least a couple of these greens that they enjoy.
This week, The Unicyclist and I had the pleasure of mustard greens, turnip greens, and kale. We made an Indian dish out of the mustard and turnip greens earlier in the week, and I saved the kale for another day. Today was kale day. With so many greens, it can be daunting to keep inventing new ways of using them. Fortunately, one of my favorite ways of preparing kale is also one of the simplest ways of doing so.
Crispy Kale
Ingredients
1 bunch kale
1 tsp olive oil
sea salt
fresh ground pepper
Variations: substitute Parmesan cheese and dried Italian herbs for the salt, or try your favorite spice blend (mine is a spicy carne asada mix of dry spices I bought from the Santa Cruz Spice Company when I visited)
Preheat the over to 400 degrees. Wash the kale leaves well, shake the water off, and pat dry. Spread them over a cookie sheet or two in a single layer, drizzle a little bit of olive oil over the top, then rub the oil over the leaves. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then bake in the oven for about 5-10 minutes.
2 Comments so far
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I have a disability that makes it difficult for me to use the oven. Can you get the kale crispy flavor of the oven by cooking it on the stove?
I often sautee kale in a little olive oil with salt and a squirt of lemon, but it’s just a different beast. It’s delicious, but it ain’t crispy. The major obstacle to cooking it on the stovetop, crispy-style, is that the kale leaves are so big, and I don’t know if cutting them down and monitoring them on the stovetop would be any more feasible with your disability. However, we are moving into greens season, so I will have plenty of time to experiment! Watch for more greens recipes, Miz V.