Dirt to Table Experience- Clean Eating-Roasted Kale Chips

PUBLISHED ON: 01.01.2012

Happy New Year to you! May 2012 bring you peace and happiness.

My resolution this year, it is to SIMPLIFY.  I joked with a friend who also was making her resolutions, and she said that climbing Mt. Everest may be easier (laugh).  I am not sure what simplifying means exactly for me except that I want to focus on what I enjoy more often, on what I don’t, less often.

I do enjoy gardening.  Gardening is obviously is an extension of my food obsession. You should not get the impression that I have a clue as to what I am doing in the garden only that I love the feel of my hands in the dirt, and that gardening is therapeutic. More importantly, the idea that the food that we grow is brought directly from our dirt to my family or friends table is a soulful experience. I am hooked.

Kale is one of the vegetable greens that have done really well in our garden.  Kale is often referred to as a superfood. Loaded with vitamins and anti-oxidants. I was not sure initially what my reaction to kale would be, but I  have been surprised at its mild flavor.  Fresh kale takes very little effort to make it delicious. A little pepper, salt and garlic sauteed in olive oil….well you can decide for yourself.  If you have read my previous garden post on Kohlrabi http://bit.ly/u1cXmW by God, if it grows well, it will be planted! Which means I have plenty of kale in the garden too.

This time kale is going to a different level with the preparation of kale chips. Surprisingly pretty damn good. If you are feeling like a holiday slug just surfacing from your food coma-toss the potato chips, take a whack at these chips.

Fresh Kale from the garden- Is that amazing?
Tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces, wash throughly and spin dry.  Toss your fresh kale in olive oil and sea salt.
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Lay out the kale in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake for 20 minutes or until crisp.
Kale chips are surprisingly light and flavorful with the addition of sea salt and olive oil.

Enjoy!

If you would like to share your dirt to table experience as a guest blogger on Tomatoes on the Vine send me an email.

  • I'm looking forward to a healthy new year and get away from all of the sweets that have entered my life. Your idea of simplify sounds perfect.Happy new year Velva.Sam

  • Happy New Year, Velva! I think your resolution is excellent, and kale is a simple but power-packed food. Hard to believe I could screw of kale chips, but I did the last time I tried – I over salted, underestimating the power of sea salt! My New Year resolution is to think before I salt!

  • Happy new Year Velva! I love your resolution and I adopt it wholeheartedly! Hope that I can simplify as in getting things done and doing less of the things that don't matter! Kale is a great idea, we get a lot of chard in our garden but I will think of kale to plant as well.

  • Wow, how lucky you are to have a fresh crop of kale at your disposal! I have grown to love kale but always seem to burn them whenever I put them in the oven. Such a yummy flavor, though. Here's to more clean eating in 2012!

  • That's a great resolution that I would like to adhere to also. I love gardening also but we have an over-abundance of shade in the yard in the summertime for one now. It has been a long time since I've had kale and must try this.

  • I aimplifying right this minute – going through Christmas stuff – and letting the kids decide what they want to take with them and what I will donate. Already did the closets. The kale chips? I've done them – and found them surprisingly fun but in the end – I am still sauteing my kale and adding it into dishes (and believe it or not – I still have kale in the garden – in MN!)Happy New Year – here's to 2012 – the year of simplification!

  • I keep thinking I am going to try these, but I love it in salad and sauteed so much. Garden. I wish I could have one again…Happy New Year Everyone! Got your black eyed peas ready?

  • Garden-fresh kale – how lovely! The kale chips sound delicious.And hope you have a very happy New Year.

  • I really look forward to getting back to my green salad for lunch habit. This beautiful photo has inspired me. Happy New Year.

  • I like the sound of roasted kale chips!

  • Your kale looks beautiful Velva.

  • I love having friends with Southern gardens, especially during our chilly months up north, and your recipes and photos always inspire me, Velva. One of my goals for 2012 is to experiment with foods I haven’t cooked before, and this post inspires me to add kale to my list. In the past, I’ve only used “curly” kale as a bed for, say, an antipasto platter. Can you enlighten me as to different varieties of this vegetable? “Simplify” is a great goal for the new year – and I love your interpretation of what it means to you. Wishing you a fabulous 2012 filled with more of the good stuff, and less of the “not so much.”

  • Well that looks simply delicious!

  • Te deseo todo lo mejor para ti y los tuyos en este año que acabamos de empezar.Un abrazo.

  • Simple and delicious! A very Happy and Prosperous New Year to you!

  • This is my favorite way to eat kale. Happy New Year Velva!

  • Simplicity is always great. Yummy kale recipe.Happy New Year!Cheers,Rosa

  • These do look pretty good and I may have to try them. That is saying a lot since kale doesn't usually excite me too much! lol

  • Happy new year …….

  • I love Kale chips. Late December my husband asked if we could cut back on our Kale consumption… I was on a roll for a while. I am currently using Escarole and Swiss Chard, he doesn't seem to mind those.Good luck with your garden this year.Happy New Year

  • I have seen this done before but never tried it. The kale chips look amazing! What a great and healthy treat

  • Happy New Year Velva! I love your focus on simplicity and totally believe in it myself! I've never had kale before, but it sounds wonderful the way that you have prepared it! Healthy too! Hope you'll continue to post more recipes and/or food prep ideas like this in the coming year; I love this idea for healthy, yet delish foods!

  • I was surprised that liked kale, too! The chips look great! I'll have to give those a try.Happy New Year!

  • I have always wanted to try kale chips. Yours is so fresh and wonderful! Have a great 2012.

  • I've been wanting to try these since everyone who posts them really likes them! I wish I had enough sun to plant a bigger veggie garden but we're surrounded by huge maple trees.

  • Your kale pictures are just beautiful!I made the chips once….loved them….ate the entire batch in one sitting (not a good thing to do) ha They were so good I couldn't quit!

  • Love this idea, and I've been seeing these elsewhere. Just need to get the nerve to try them.

  • I've been wanting to try these!! I wish I could keep my garden up during the winter but it's dark outside by the time I get home from work. Wanna come tend mine for me? haha

  • i have got to try these, i've seen them quite a bit lately, they look so crispy and insanely healthy! love the kale from your garden, i think it's so rewarding eating what you've created.happy new year, i like your resolution, life feels better when it's simplified!

  • Your blog name attracted me so much..later i saw you blog..it attracted me in same way..very nice..will keep visiting..nice to meet you

  • Congratulations, you kale looks so happy and healthy! I love to garden as well, but my kale did not look as nice 🙂 The kale chips are fantastic!Happy 2012, I hope you have an amazing year ahead!

  • I have not eaten kale chips before, looks delicious! I wonder if the kale here is the same as those we have here? Looks different!

  • I've never eaten kale because its so so hard to find here in Germany (at least where I live) but I would love to try it sometime! 🙂 I love how it has so many awesome health benefits and these roasted kale chips look delish! 🙂

  • Simplifying is a wonderful resolution. In fact I think you are definitely speaking my language. Your homegrown kale looks gorgeous and I'm loving your dirt to table posts. I tried kale chips awhile back and was surprised by how tasty they were.

  • Kale is one of my most favorite foods in the whole world. 🙂 I finally found seeds here in Australia and planted them and they just started coming up yesterday! Hooray! Can't wait until they're flourishing so I can make these marvelous chips. 🙂

  • Simplifying is something I think many of us long for today. I'm like your friend, seems climbing Mt. Everest might be easier. But, I'm still going to tackle it as best I can. Kale is one of my favorite foods ever. I will look forward to trying these chips. blessings ~ tannna

  • Ihave been wanting to make these for a long time; thank you for the tutorial;perfect.Rita

  • I've heard how good kale is but I haven't seen any fresh kale selling at the Australian store. I may search for the seed like \”Rambling Tart\” to grow it myself. And really thanks for your comment at my blog, homemade lemonade is so refreshing! 🙂

  • I've been eating a lot of kale lately and we really love it … we add it to soups, stir frys, make kale and squash as a side dish, but I've never made chips. What a great healthy, snack. I have some so I'm going to give it a try this afternoon. And maybe I should attempt growing it myself too!

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