You’re in luck! You’ve got kale! That’s right, it’s the middle of July and the kale harvest is in full swing. Kale is a leafy green that is packed with Iron, Vitamin K, and Vitamin C! To keep things festive and full of Warhawk pride this year at the garden we have planted a few different varieties of kale, some of them produce green leaves, while others are showing a nice purple coloring. Kale is a great summer food for it simple, fast, and easy preparation. Kale also yields a great amount of food, as well as reproducing leaves throughout the summer. It truly is a green that just keeps on giving. A few great ways to prepare kale are things such as, kale salads and kale chips. This versatile veggie can go pretty much in any dish or be a stand alone veggie itself! Kale chips seem to be an up in coming tread among the kale eating community for the yield of chips it produces and its good taste. Here is a kale chip recipe that’s easy to try at home.

No Fail Sea Salt and Garlic Kale Chips

Ingredients

• 1 medium sized bunch of kale washed and dried well
• 2 tsp olive oil
• A pinch or two of sea salt
• A pinch of garlic powder

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Wash and dry one bunch of kale, making sure the leaves are completely dry. If there’s any moisture left on the leaves you’ll end up with soggy kale chips.
3. Rip the leaves off the stems and away from the chewy veins of the kale and into chip-sized pieces.
4. Arrange the pieces of kale on an unlined baking sheet.
5. Drizzle the olive oil as evenly over the kale as possible. Using your hands, gently massage the oil into the kale leaves, making sure to massage the oil well into all the folds and onto the entire surface of each of the kale leaves. At first it may not seem that 2 teaspoons of oil will be enough but adding more oil will only add too much moisture. If you find you need a tiny bit more oil, add it one drop at a time.
6. Once you’ve finished massaging the kale, sprinkle a pinch or two of sea salt and a pinch of garlic powder over the kale and add the pan to your preheated oven.
7. Bake for 10 minutes. Rotate the pan, flipping any pieces that are starting to look crispy and bake for another 10-15 minutes, watching the pan closely for the last 7-8 minutes to prevent over browning.
8. Remove the pan from the oven and leave the kale chips on the pan for 3-5 minutes before serving to they can crisp up even more!

For more information on Kale and other produce stop by the UW-Whitewater Campus Garden to help out a volunteer session and learn along the way!