Kale Chips

I remember that when I first started reading food blogs well over a year ago, kale chips were making quite a splash in the blogosphere. It seemed like they were all over the place! People were buying kale by the bushel and roasting it in the oven, then gushing about how wonderful and healthy it was. (Okay, maybe part of that is an exaggeration, but not by much.)
I am not a picky eater by any means, but there are just some things that I haven't been able to like. Tapioca and kale are two of the foods that come to mind immediately. I have tried to like kale, I really have, but I have yet to eat any that I actually liked. Well, until today. I decided to take a leap of faith (I suppose I was feeling particularly adventurous) and make the much-lauded kale chips. There's no recipe really...it's really just roasting the leaves in a tiny smidgen of olive oil, salt, and paremsan cheese.
The roasting dries out the kale leaves just enough that they're pleasantly crunchy, but not fragile and brittle. The olive oil and the time in the oven certainly mellow the bitter taste that I've always hated about kale. They were actually pretty good! I fixed a bunch on a cookie sheet this afternoon and ate the whole thing! It's not a really substantial snack, but it sure satisfies a craving for something salty, savory, and crunchy. Give these a try...if nothing else, it's certainly an adventure in eating!

Kale Chips

1 bunch kale leaves (stripped from the thick stems)

olive oil (not much...a couple of teaspoons)

salt

shredded parmesan

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rinse kale leaves and spin them in a salad spinner until dry. Spread on a cookie sheet and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle on salt and shredded parmesan. Slide cookie sheet into the hot oven for about 10 - 15 minutes. The kale leaves will shrink noticeably and get a little brown around the edges. When the kale chips look lightly browned, take them out and check on them. If they seem crisp (moreso around the edges than in the middle of the leaves), they're done.

Serve immediately. They'll be okay for a little while, but should be eaten within an hour or so.