On my first foray to the eagerly awaited Collegeville Farmers Market Saturday morning, I bought a beautiful bunch of kale (from Jack’s Farm).   As soon as I spotted the kale, I knew exactly what I was going to do - I was going to make kale chips! I love shopping farmer’s markets - you never know what you might find and the beautifully fresh and in-season produce inspires you.

What are kale chips you may be thinking? Kale chips are a wonderful way to enjoy kale as a snack; baking it into chips tempers it’s somewhat strong taste and makes it highly addicting. It is delicious and really quite simple to make.

Kale Chips

1 bunch fresh kale, roughly 6 – 8 oz

Some good olive oil

Sea salt*

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare your baking pans - I am all about quick clean-up, so I line two baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper. If you don’t have parchment, no worries, you can leave your pans bare.

Wash your kale really well and pat dry.

Remove the stem and the center rib with a knife (don’t forget to feed  your compost pile); you will be left with the tender leafy part which you will want to cut into bite-size pieces, but not too small, because they will shrink in the oven and you don’t want them to burn.

Put the kale into a large bowl and starting with about a tablespoon of olive oil at a time, toss the kale pieces with just enough oil to lightly coat, you don’t want them too oily.  Spread them out in a single layer onto your baking sheets. Lightly sprinkle with sea salt and bake for about 12-15 minutes, or until crisp. Ovens vary, so begin checking about 10 minutes into baking, you can even give them a light toss to bake more evenly, being careful not to let them burn. Remove from the oven and let baking sheets cool on a rack. Enjoy!

I store leftovers in an airtight container left at room temperature, but believe me, they won’t be leftover for long.

* I used smoked sea salt, pimenton (smoked Spanish paprika), granulated garlic and freshly ground black pepper for a smoky, bolder taste.

Have fun with your seasonings and tailor it to please your palate!