Crispy Kale

On my travels through blog-world I often come across new blogs that inspire and amuse me.  Most are cookery blogs, but inevitably there is some overlap between subjects, and a recent 'acquaintance' of mine ably demonstrates this.  I met Nic through searching for anyone else who may have made Hedgerow Jelly this Autumn, and sure enough, she had.  Nic's blog, Nip it in the Bud, is largely focused on gardening - never mind green fingers, her allotment makes me green with envy! - but she, like me, also has a passion for preserves, as photos of her cupboard packed with jars of jams, jellies, chutneys, etc, show.

At this time of year there isn't much to be harvested from an allotment, but there are clearly some treats still to be had...  this recipe for Kale Crisps had me dashing out to my "allotment" (cough, Tescos...) so that I could make them myself.

The recipe is simplicity itself:  Simply preheat the oven to 180C, and put 1 tbsp of olive oil, 2 tsp of balsamic vinegar and a pinch of salt into a large bowl.  Mix quickly and then add half a bag of chopped kale (ready washed for the ultra-lazy chef - me - in this case) and stir well until the kale is coated in the dressing.

Then simply spread the glistening kale onto a baking tray - I didn't even bother to line it - and bake for 10-12 minutes.  Nic's recipe says 10, but I left it in a little too long as I didn't hear the timer ring, and no harm had come to it.

I gave it a final sprinkling of Maldon salt before piling it into a bowl and serving immediately.

This snack may not win any prizes for good looks, but - my goodness - what a great taste!  I'm not a huge fan of kale cooked in any other way, often finding it a bit indigestible, but this bowl full of crispy kale was hoovered up by Rob and myself within minutes.  Therein lies a warning actually - be very careful not to inhale when you have any of this close to your mouth, as both Rob and I suffered minor choking fits as a small piece of kale was sucked in and lodged in our throats...  Not an elegant (or pleasant) experience!

However, I would risk this injury just to eat this again - indeed I will probably do so tomorrow night as I still have half a bag of kale in the fridge.  Definitely the best way to eat kale, and surely more healthy than regular crisps.  Perfect!