Behind Closed Doors
It’s kale.
We've been growing different varieties of kale in the garden for a few years: Blue-green curly kale; kale with wide, graceful leaves; Slow-bolting kale with delicate ruffles. We love that it grows from early spring ‘til late fall here in Iowa; we love the beautiful vitamin-packed leaves; we love the bold flavor and texture that is so unlike wimpy grocery store lettuces. Unfortunately, cabbage worms love kale just as much as we do. And, since we don't need the extra protein that cabbage worm-infested kale offers, we're taking a stab at growing our kale indoors. While our small scale operation is safe from cabbage worms and other garden pests, it is highly susceptible to curious kittens scampering into the room behind me, ready to grab a quick snack when I turn my back to fill the watering can. Even so, in the last week we've begun harvesting beautiful, clean greens. Sorry, worms, this kale’s all ours!
The bold flavor of kale is wonderful in salads, blends well in g-tube meals, and is a fun, nutrition-packed alternative to potato chips.
To make kale chips, just wash your kale leaves, and pat them dry with a paper towel. If you're working with large greens, you might want to chop them into bite-sized pieces. While your oven is pre-heating to 300 degrees or so, spray a cookie sheet with a little olive oil, and place the kale on the sheet. Top with a pinch of salt, garlic powder, and/or onion powder, and place in the warmed oven. Bake for about 9-12 minutes, until the leaves are crispy. Watch carefully: The leaves burn easily! Remove the kale chips from the cookie sheet and cool completely. Enjoy your chips plain, or pair with fresh salsa and/or plain yogurt. Yum!