Kale!

I just can't turn down fresh produce.  How could I?  One of the great joys of living in Sonoma County, is our gardens.  Almost everyone I know is growing something (or trying to).  Walking around my neighborhood you can spot: lavender, mint, tomatoes, peas, and chard growing in tiny containers on front porches, or sometimes (literally) in cracks in the sidewalk.  Chelsea takes advantage of her bay windows and grows herbs and tomatoes in her San Francisco apartment.  Folks with more land tend to be more ambitious,  back yards you could easily waste a day in, perhaps eating from it the whole time.  Quince and sour cherry trees.  Berries and greens.  Even now as we prepare for the new season they are eating large delicious kale leaves and they are offering some to me!

Our friend Theresa has that beautiful garden, and I gladly accepted her kale.
I love kale.  I like to eat it just wilted with a little olive oil and lemon.  I would be happy to eat it just that way for dinner any night.  However,  this time I set some aside for something different.

Kale Chips!
Remove the stem and cut the leaves into bite size (chip size) pieces.  Toss the leaves with olive oil and some lemon juice.

Place the leaves in a single layer on a baking sheet (salt if you like) and pop in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes at 350 degrees, until crisp.

Kale chips are simple and taste good, and might be just the thing to have for lunch along side a sandwich.