CSA Week 3 and Kale Chips

Memorial Day weekend our friends and their two year old daughter were visiting from Silver Spring, so P got sent to the market to pick up veg while I waited for our friends. He brought back: rainbow chard, kale, basil, broccoli, lettuce, and a bunch of beets. So far, we've made:
--braised chard (with oil and garlic) alongside Curry-Cajun Spiced Chicken breasts with orzo
--Thai Stirfried Turkey with Basil, Chiles, Garlic, and Oyster sauce. We forgot to take pictures, but it was quite like this, with ground turkey. We ate this with Broccoli stir-fried in oyster sauce and jasmine rice
--kale chips for snacking
--pesto for freezing
--Openface Tuna Melts with Pesto, Swiss and Mozzarella with beet green horta

I'm thrilled to report that H actually kinda likes Kale chips, and LOVES the stems of beet greens. She chowed a bunch of these with a yogurt dip, and my heart soars whenever she eats vegetables.

H and her friend over Memorial Day weekend.

I'm still contemplating how to deal with the beets. It has been HOT here this week, over 95 but less than 100, with high humidity. So our desire to roast the beets in the oven for 45 minutes is next to none.

Here's my pitch for kale chips. They've been all over the interwebs this past year, and making the rounds of my friends as well. You really should try them. A lot crispy, crunchy, and flaky, a little bit oily, and as salty as you wish. They're also one of the easiest ways to cook those leafy greens that tend to scare people so much.


Kale Chips.
1 bunch kale
1 tsp - 1 T (or more, olive oil is GOOD for you!) Olive oil
salt for AFTER you've baked them

Set oven to 350.
Wash Kale well, and slice leaves from stalks. Tear leaves into sections, and they don't have to be neat. H and P had a good time working together on this. Place the ripped kale leaves on cookie sheets, placing them close together, but in a single flat layer. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until they are deliciously crunchy. We like them so well baked they very nearly flake away as you grab one up to eat it and then they shatter in your mouth. Once they are baked, sprinkle with salt like popcorn and chow down.