Garden Harvest ~ Krispy Kale

Spring has arrived and avid gardeners are out and about, planning and planting for their Autumn harvest time. Around these parts in the mountains, homesteading practices are alive and well, and plant nurseries are not just selling plants, they have become specialists in all kinds of planting, growing, harvesting and perserving those precious yummy goods. It is not uncommon for those who do canning to be seen trotting around town with several of their own special recipes in canning jars for others to try... with great excitement. It is delightful to see the "old ways" surviving and thriving, with delicious freshly prepared veges, made with joy and love. And what's better... you can taste it. You can't get these delectable goodies in any grocery store! If the idea of an attempt at canning is just too much to think about, here is a quick and easy way to enjoy the fruits of one's gardening labors. Crispy Kale is super delicious and nutritious.* And if your kids are picky and don't like vegetables, this recipe will having them eating out of your hands in no time! Just be prepared for your efforts to be gobbled up and disappear before you can even turn the oven off. In my garden, we have a long tradition of wild deer who have cut a permanent pathway through the forest. My Great Auntie Irene used to hand feed the deer watermelon rinds, and although I have not gotten to this place yet with the deer, I have remained mindful of the fact that the deer have made this area their home long before us humans arrived in the mid-1800s. Blocking off the deer pathway was not an option for many reasons, but especially because I respect their roaming area, and more so, love to see them come near. This however, presented a problem when it came to planting vegetables, as the deer love them probably more than we humans do. But I went for it anyway and learned alot along the way. A simple chicken wire fence was an easy solution to keeping my kale safe for human snacking. Kale is a quick growing vegetable and comes in several varieties. I chose to plant a variety for a mixed production. I put in a few six-packs of different varieties and then sprinkled mixed seeds in the soil between the starts. This way I would have a staggered production that will last through the spring and summer months with a continual harvest in rotation. It is only early May, but I have already had my first harvest of a bowl full of frilly green and purple deliciousness. What Joy! I happen to have a very picky vegetable eater to feed, so I figured that making crispy kale chips was the fastest, easiest way to prepare these leafy super nutritious gems, all the more appealing because they were the fruits of my own labors. This quick recipe is as follows: This recipe is so fast and easy it can be done in a matter of minutes. After rinsing the freshly picked kale with fresh water, I tossed it into a waffle weave dish towel (paper towels if necessary) to absorb most of the water, fluffing it lightly. Back into a large bowl, lightly drizzle a good extra virgin olive oil over the leaves and begin to "massage"! That's right, massage the kale.... it likes this. This massaging action gives the kale an even coating of the olive oil and also activates and stimulates the kale's cellular structure.** After the kale has been coated thoroughly with the olive oil, pop it into the refrigerator for a quick chill. This will keep the kale crisp until cook time. However, too long in the cold, and the kale will begin to wilt. Heat oven to 325 degrees and place a sheet of parchment paper over a baking sheet. The parchment paper will help absorb any extra olive oil and keep the kale crisp without getting soggy. Place the prepared kale on the baking sheet and spread out evenly. Place in pre-heated oven. Every 5 minutes or so, toss the kale on the sheet so it will crisp up evenly. Before the last "toss"... sprinkle lightly with some sea salt and put back in oven until all the kale is evenly crispy. That's it! Good luck getting it from the oven to the table and expecting it to remain for any amount of minutes. To be honest, if no one is around, you'll have a hard time keeping your own hands off of its yummy deliciousness long enough for anyone else to get some. Bon Appetite! *Kale is very high and rich in beta carotene, vitamins K and C and calcium. Kale contains vital chemicals that have potent anti-cancer properties, inhibiting cancer cell growth, DNA structural repair boosting ability within cell tissue, and the lowering of cholesterol while decreasing dietary fat absorption. **The notion of eating "raw" vegetables is very popular nowadays, and in the case of certain vegetables, this is appropriate. However, with more fibrous vegetables, like the cabbage family, of which kale belongs, and root vegetables, it is impossible for the human body to absorb the nutrition until the cellular structure is broken down a bit by heat. The idea that raw vegetables are best for ultimate nutritional value is simply incorrect and conversely is just a waste if not prepared correctly for proper digestion. Read more about Kale as a super-food at Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kale