Kale Chips

We have been wanting to try making kale "chips" all summer, but it hasn't worked out until now. They were really easy to make, and taste great! We overcooked them, so this photo doesn't do it justice, but now we know to bake them for less time the next time around (I think they were in the oven for 8 minutes, it might be better to bake them for about 6 minutes or so...).

Kale "Chips" (from Red Fire Farm)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb kale, chopped
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 400˚.
2. Toss kale with olive oil, salt and pepper.
3. Spread out on a baking sheet and bake, turning every 5 minutes until brown and crispy. Kale should be dry and able to be eaten by hand like chips!

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Kale

We actually haven't had any kale yet this year (the one time that there was some in the share R and J had taken it), but I had saved a few recipes to try using kale. I'm hoping we get another shot at it, but in the meantime, I wanted you to at least have the recipes...

• Spicy Parmesan Green Beans and Kale (Giada De Laurentiis)
• Indian-Spiced Kale and Chickpeas (Eating Well)
• Wine-Steeped Greens (Rachael Ray)

Kale Chips (Red Fire Farm)

INGREDIENTS:

- 1 lb kale, chopped
- Olive oil, salt, pepper

PREPARATION:

- Preheat oven to 400˚
- Toss kale with olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Spread out on a baking sheet and bake, turning every 5 minutes until brown and crispy.

Kale should be dry and able to be eaten by hand like chips!

Raw Kale, Squash and Turnip Salad (Red Fire Farm)

INGREDIENTS:

- 2 med zucchini or summer squash
- 1 bunch kale, chopped
- 2 med. Hakurei turnips, julienned
- 2 pearl onions, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup cider vinegar
- 3 Tbs. dill
- 1 Tbs. Maple syrup
- salt

PREPARATION:

Slice the squash lengthwise with a peeler and place the ribbons in a bowl. Toss with turnips, salt and let sit and wilt while preparing the kale. Salt the chopped kale and massage for 5-10 minutes until tender. Add to the kale and toss with remaining ingredients. Let marinate for an hour, stirring occasionally to coat the veggies with the vinegar. Add salt before serving if needed.

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R & J - Portuguese Beans with Linguica and Kale & Sauteed Kohlrabi

Sorry if these photos aren't up to the usual quality, I "borrowed" them from J's Facebook page...

I'm also guessing that the recipe is based off this one, but I can't say for sure!

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Tilapia with Sesame Greens & Garlic Scapes

Our kitchen is finally unpacked enough that we could cook a real meal, and last night's dinner was great!

Sesame Broiled Tilapia (adapted from AboutSeafood.com)

INGREDIENTS:

- 1 lb. fresh tilapia fillets

- 2 tbs. butter, melted

- 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

- 3 tbs. sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp. of soy sauce (our addition to the recipe)

PREPARATION:

1. Combine melted butter, lemon juice and soy sauce in a shallow dish and dip the fillets in the mixture. Place on a lightly greased ovenproof pan.

2. Broil under high heat about 2 minutes each side, basting with the butter/lemon mixture several times during the cooking process.

3. After the final baste, top fillets with sesame seeds. Broil an additional 1-2 minutes until the seeds are golden brown.

Sesame Greens with Garlic Scapes (from Red Fire Farm)

INGREDIENTS:

- 1 bunch turnip greens
- 2 turnips or kohlrabi
- 1 bunch swiss chard (we used kale instead)
- greens from 1 bunch of beets
- 4 garlic scapes 1/8 cup oil
- 2 tbs. sesame oil
- 2 tbs. sesame seeds
- 1 tbs. tamari (soy sauce)
- 1⁄4 tsp. cayenne (opt.)


PREPARATION:

1. Chop greens, removing stems and chopping finely (they need more time to cook so if you want to use them you just have to start them earlier). Thinly slice turnips and cut scapes into 1 inch pieces.


2. In a wok or similar skillet, heat oil until hot and toss in turnips, scapes, and any stem pieces. Cook for 5 minutes.


3. Add beet greens and tamari, cover and cook another 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Add cayenne, sesame seeds, swiss chard, and turnip greens and cook until greens are wilted.


My rating: 8.5/10
Dan's rating: 8/10

One final note about fish - please do your best to buy sustainable seafood whenever possible! Click here to download a great pocket-sized regional list that you can bring with you to the grocery store (from the Monterey Bay Aquarium). They also have an IPhone app, which you can access here.

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