The Best Kale Chips

I love Kale. It's easy to grow, often overwinters and is very versatile to use. I have three types growing in my garden and all have lasted me through the winter. I use kale in soups, stews, omelets, and salads. However, one of my favorite ways to eat kale is in the form of kale chips.

In the past, I've been coating them in olive oil, salt and herbs and baking them in a 375 degree oven on a parchment lined sheet pan. That's what other kale eaters have told me to do. Unfortunately, these chips have always turned out black with various parts undercooked, usually the thicker stems. I've modified the oven temperature somewhat, but could not get a consistent green crisp.

A few weeks ago, I was watching, Jacques Pepin's show, More Fast Food My Way and he happened demonstrated how to properly make kale chips. So, according to Chef Pepin, only preheat your oven to 250 degrees. To prepare the kale, wash it in a bowl of cold water and then take the stems off. I just grab the bottom of the stem and run my other hand up it to strip off the leafy part. I also use my handy-dandy salad spinner to thoroughly dry it. If you have large leaves, tear them down to smaller sizes. Then coat the kale with a little olive oil and sea salt in a bowl. You don't need much seasoning because the kale shrinks quite a bit which concentrates the flavors. You can also season it with dried tomato skin crumbs, herbs and pepper. Evenly spread it out on a sheet pan lined with a wire wrack so air can circulate under and around the greens. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Voila! Perfectly crisp, green kale chips.