Candy Kale Chips and Pickled Kale Stems

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We love lacinato kale, a.k.a dinosaur kale, around here lately and have been wanting to make some kale chips that no one could possibly resist. Using honey and fresh orange juice to take away some of the inherent bitterness in the greens helps to make that happen. Other kale chip recipes have you cook the kale at 350 degrees, but at this temperature, the thin kale goes from limp to burned on the edges in no time flat. We figured out that if we cook the kale at a lower temperature for longer, the result is a crisper, more evenly cooked chip.

Doing something good with the tough stems of kale that are removed before making the chips was a goal, too. This recipe is for a simple, quick dill pickle, but feel free to add whatever spices you like to the pickling liquid. Try it today, and you just might start obsessing over this super-healthy superfood just like we are. 

Candy Kale Chips 

6 cups loose packed laminate/dinosaur kale (stems removed and reserved; about 1 1/2 bunches)
1 tablespoon orange blossom honey
juice from 1 satsuma orange (about 1 tablespoon)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt flakes (+ a pinch or two)
1/8 cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Cut de-stemmed kale into pieces about 2-3 inches long. Place into a large bowl and set aside. Whisk honey, satsuma juice, olive oil, and 1/4 teaspoon sea salt flakes until emulsified and pour over kale. Massage the mixture into the kale for 1-2 minutes until the leaves are completely coated. Spread kale out -- no leaves should touch -- on a parchment-lined, rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle a pinch of salt on top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Let chips cool and then store them in a glass container. 


Pickled Kale Stems

Stems from 2 bunches kale
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 clove garlic (sliced)
5-10 peppercorns
5-10 whole coriander
1/4 teaspoon dried dill


Trim stems to fit in a 1/2 pint jar. Pack stems into the jar. Bring the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, garlic, peppercorns, coriander, and dill up to a boil. Pour hot pickling liquid over kale stems and screw the cap on. Let stems rest in the fridge for at least 3 days before serving. Pickled kale stems will last 2 weeks in the fridge.