If you had told me 3 years ago that not only would I be buying out the grocery store’s stock of kale at every visit, but that every single member of our family would fight for dibs on that kale, I would have said: 1) wishful thinking, and 2) how do you even prepare kale? I had tried it a couple times, just sautéing it with onions and lemon, and I can honestly say it was a solid step above cooked spinach for us. Ben and I both agreed that the flavor was ok, and it was nice that it didn’t get smooshy even when it was cooked, but that’s about all we could say for it. Three kids later and I’m lucky if I can get out of the store before they’ve scarfed down all they can reach from the produce bag! So how did we make such a drastic transition? Well, like most healthy ingredients, there was some trial and error involved. Some of it worked out decently well, some of it was eaten out of purely health conscientious motives, and some of it was just fed to the chickens. Then one day my Dad brought me some flavored kale chips, and they were way more addictive than any regular old potato chip I had tried! So I set out to make my own homemade version without the preservatives, excess sodium, and cost, of the pre packaged stuff.
Here’s the bad news, soggy kale chips - not so yummy; burnt and bitter kale chips - even worse. However, after many many many etc. etc. batches of sometimes good, sometimes bad, and everywhere in between, I have finally figured out how to consistently make deliciously flavored, perfectly crispy kale chips every time! The secret is, partially, to fully dry the kale. I won’t delve into the hydrophobic chemical properties of oil molecules, but suffice it to say, if there’s water on your kale, the oil cannot stick to the kale which will not allow the moisture within the kale to be removed because of the oils’ super high temperature. Secret number 2, is to mix your spices right into the kale and oil as opposed to sprinkling them over the top. When you create a layer of spices on top of the kale, it acts as a blanket to hold in all of that moisture, so by the time you do get the desired crispiness, the kale itself is charred. But why go to all of this trouble over kale? Why not just concede defeat and either accept it for it’s uninspired flavor, or just move on to the next healthy thing and hope for better luck there?
Because when something is important enough to stand the test of time all the way from the early Greeks and Romans, you don’t just brush it off because it doesn’t pique your tastebuds just right! The Greeks would even boil kale in order to allow its water soluble glucosinolates to leach out, and then drink the water as a cure for drunkenness. Early Russians found kale to be important enough to create an even hardier variety that could grow in the snow. What separates kale from its similar cruciferous vegetable relatives like cabbage and brussel sprouts, is its more open structure. In fact, it shares the same genus and species (Brassica oleracea) with many other cruciferous vegetables, and only branches off by itself at the group level. In Latin, its name (Acephala) literally means “without a head”. The reason this is worth noting is because it is this difference in structure, this open leaf layout, that sets this veggie apart nutritionally from all of its close relatives. The extra surface area being exposed to sunlight accounts for a higher concentration of antiangiogenic carotenoids and glucosinolates. When kale is crushed or chewed thoroughly, the cells are lysed, allowing the glucosinolates and myrosinase to be released. When these two compounds are released, and consequently mixed through peristaltic contractions, the myrosinase converts the glucosinolates into antiangiogenic bioactive molecules. These molecules have been proven to lower the risk of such cancers as breast, lung, colorectal, and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Even more remarkably, these compounds have been proven to shrink tumors both through inhibiting vascular growth to the tumor, as well as through apoptosis.
So all of the recent hype over kale isn’t just an overrated trend; it truly is worth the time invested to figure out a way to regularly fit this superfood into your diet. And soon enough, if you’re anything like us, your kids will make a bee line for it as soon as you get in the store, and you’ll have its produce number memorized! But if you’re still a bit hesitant, don’t worry, we’ve found countless other delicious ways to incorporate it, and we can’t wait to share them with all of you!
“Ranch” Kale Chips Recipe:
1 Bunch of Kale
1/2 Tbsp Garlic Powder
1/2 Tbsp Onion Powder
2 tsp Dill Weed
1/2 tsp Salt
1/3 C Olive Oil
Separate kale leaves from main stalks, maintaining the largest pieces possible. Add leaves, spices and oil to a large bowl and massage oil and spices into leaves until well mixed. Spread seasoned leaves on two baking sheets in as thin of a layer as possible, trying not to overlap layers, and bake at 275° F for 30-45 min, until leaves are just crispy.
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