Homemade Kale Chips From LaNayFerme Farm
Last week I made a visit to the La Nay Ferme farm, situated along the Provo foothills. The farm operates as a CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture. People “subscribe” to the farm for a set fee. Then each week during the growing season, they get a share of what the farm produced. The number of CSAs is growing in Utah; and it’s a win-win situation. For the farmers, they have a ready market for what they grow; for the members, it’s a great way to get super-fresh, seasonal veggies. (Here’s more info on La Nay Ferme; and also more info on CSAs in Utah. )
In case you’re wondering how the farm got it’s name, “ferme” is the French word for “farm.” And the founder, Clinton Felsted, has a grandfather named La Nay.
I was given some produce from the farm (or “ferme”), and in exchange, asked to come up with some great recipes and photos to give CSA members ideas for using their produce. Sometimes, it can be a challenge for CSA members to come up with ways to use their share of veggies, especially if they’re unfamiliar with them. I guess this is my way to be supportive of the CSA farming movement.
My produce bags included kale, spinach, arugula, spring mixed greens, thyme and oregano.
Each day this week I’m going to be posting a recipe. Today I thought I’d go with Kale Chips. I’ve given the general recipe in past blog posts. But this time, I used some interesting purple-tinged kale that was in the La Nay Ferme bag with the regular curly-leafed kale.
I’ll admit, kale chips wouldn’t win any beauty contests. I took the chips to a party to celebrate the finish of our Six-Week Triathlon Challenge (which, I might add, I actually finished!). Those who were curious and tried them said that they were surprisingly pretty good. Those who expected them to taste just like potato chips were disappointed. One guy said they tasted like his wife’s burned broccoli. They DO have a bit of a broccoli-ish flavor, but it’s not bad. They also have a nice, brittle crunch. And they have a lot more nutrition than potato chips!
Kale is definitely in the superfood spotlight right now, and deservedly so. According to an article on WebMD one cup of chopped kale contains 33 calories and 9% of the daily value of calcium, 206% of vitamin A, 134% of vitamin C, and a whopping 684% of vitamin K. It is also a good source of minerals copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus. Kale is also rich in the eye-health promoting lutein and zeaxanthin compounds.
A large bowl of kale leaves, rinsed and allowed to dry
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 250°F. If the kale leaves have large stems, fold the leaves in half and cut out the large stems with a chef’s knife. Arrange leaves on a large baking sheet. (I like to cover my baking sheet with a Silpat mat so the chips won’t stick to the pan.) Drizzle with the olive oil. Toss the leaves lightly with your hands to spread the oil evenly. Arrange the leaves so they are in a single layer as much as possible. However, they will shrink during baking, allowing more room. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until crisp, about 30 to 35 minutes.
— Valerie Phillips, with produce from La Nay Ferme Farm.